Heritage
by Aurelianella
Summary: Sequel to Foundations. More than a year has passed since the rescue in the Citadel, but when the public finds out the Psions came searching for Starfire they demand she be banished. Meanwhile, Batman's negotiations to keep Tamaran at bay prove futile when a suitor is selected for her hand. Knowing their fate if Starfire leaves, can Robin let outside forces tear the Titans apart?
1. Chapter 1

The lightbulb in my bedside lamp exploded, spraying my face with tiny shards. I came awake in an instant, and by the time I sprang up in bed I already had a birdarang clutched in my hand. Disoriented by the darkness and my abrupt return to consciousness, it took me a second to realize that the threat was not in my room. Not willing to take any chances, I scanned my room for signs of anything out of place, and considering the state of things that was easier said than done. The pieces of my uniform were scattered all across my floor. Work out clothes formed a large heap surrounding the laundry basket in the corner. My desk was hidden beneath mounds of paperwork and balled up pieces of paper where I'd scratched out possible locations of the various criminals still at large in Jump City. Finally my eyes fell on the lamp next to my head.

There was nothing left of the bulb, just a fine white powder that dusted the surface of my bedside table. The alarm clock wasn't blinking to suggest a power surge, though it was hurting my eyes with the large red 6:45 it blared at me. I set down the birdarang and pinched the bridge of my nose. At the crack of dawn with no enemy threats or power surges to blow things up there was only one explanation, and I groaned. What had Beast Boy done to Raven now?

I considered going back to sleep and letting Raven deal with it. At 6:45 in the morning a portal to hell sounded like a mild punishment. Once upon a time I used to be a morning person, believe it or not. But those days were long gone, traded in with my sequined circus tights for body armor, a mask, and a cape.

On the other hand, I thought, we'd been living together for over a year now and it wasn't like Raven to get upset enough to break things in other rooms unless something big had happened. As the leader it was my responsibility to go save Beast Boy before she castrated him or worse.

Grumbling under my breath, I leaned over the side of my bed to snatched up one of the many shirts lying on the floor. Hopefully whatever needed to be said could be over with quickly enough that I could grab a glass of water and get in a couple more hours' rest.

Turns out I wasn't the only one who'd been awakened by Raven's magical spasm. As I opened my door the panel across the hall cracked open enough for Starfire to poke her head into the hallway. Her long red hair fell in ruffled waves nearly to the floor. Judging by the glimpse of bare shoulder I could see, she wasn't wearing much of anything-not that she ever did-and my mind instantly threw up barriers to prevent me from following that train of thought back to the station. When she saw me standing there she gasped, bit her lip, and blushed. I pinched my lips together hard to keep from drooling all over myself.

"Good morning, Robin. Were you also disturbed by the shattering of the bulbs of light in your bedroom?"

Still stuck on the whole 'she's not wearing anything' thing, I was a little slow to respond, and when I realized that I was expected to speak the only thing I could think was, 'She's going to smell my morning breath.' mentally I shook myself and brought my mind back on track.

"Is she in there?" I asked, nodding toward Raven's door. The girls' rooms were side by side. If something had startled Raven enough that I was effected across the hall then surely Starfire would have heard it too. And if something was wrong, Starfire was the first person Raven would tell. Despite everything had happened with the Psions and the Gordanians last year it wasn't until one random mission when the girls' switched bodies that they really got to know each other and become close. Not that Raven was really _close_ with anyone, but if she had something she wanted off her chest Starfire was the person turned to.

Starfire shook her head.

"I heard her emerge not long ago. Wait one moment, I will assist you in locating her." She ducked back into her room, leaving the door cracked. It was a special kind of torture standing there in the hallway outside Starfire's door pretending that I didn't catch glimpses of an orange elbow, shin, of knee as she quickly pulled on something to wear and wishing it wasn't more interesting parts that I could see. In her mind I was Robin, her best friend, who would never consider spying on her while she changed. I suppose that was my fault. I let her think that the thought of anything beyond friendship didn't interest me. I parroted the words Bruce had drilled into me about responsibilities and priorities, knowing that I was full of it and that I wanted to gag myself on each and every one. Ironically, Bruce's words _were_ true, it just wasn't my responsibilities that mattered.

Starfire was the crowned princess of Tamaran. It was only a matter of time before a suitor was chosen for her by her people and she was expected to return to her home world and get married. Nothing I said or did was going to change that. If anything, it would just make it harder to let her go. Already I got jealous just thinking about handing her over to some strange alien she'd never met, but what if she was my girlfriend and she asked me to give her away to the guy she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with? I didn't have it in me to be that selfless.

"Perhaps she is in the Common Room," said Starfire, gliding along beside me with her feet drawn up so that they didn't touch the floor. Her soft voice interrupted my dark train of thought. I wanted to ask her how much longer before Tamaran demanded that she return. I was amazed we'd held them off for a year. It had not been easy, but it had been necessary. She needed this time to heal after the attack.

As she and I roamed the corridors trying to find Raven I reminded myself that Starfire was happy. It still amazed me that she could find something to smile about after all the terrible things that had been done to her during her time with the Psions and the Gordanians. But there she was, humming softly to herself as we rounded the corner that led into the kitchen.

Raven was standing at the island with her back to us as we entered. Spread out in front if her was a newspaper. When she heard us, she whirled around and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously as the newspaper disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"You're never awake this early," she said to me. I lifted an eyebrow at the defensiveness in her tone.

"I wouldn't be if someone hadn't blown up my lamp a foot from my face. You're lucky I was asleep or I'd have glass in my eyes," I said sternly. Her mouth pinched in a frown, and I noticed that she purposefully ignored Starfire. For some reason she'd rather pick a fight with me than risk Starfire seeing whatever she was hiding from us. If it was in the newspaper I already had a good idea of what it must be.

Any time the Titans stepped off our island we made the front page of every newspaper in Jump. It didn't matter if we were just making a trip to the grocery store, the tabloids would spew all kinds of nonsense about us, or if a mission had gone down then there wold be new action shots of us plastered everywhere. Starfire was their favorite. It didn't matter that her skimpy uniform served a purpose by allowing her to absorb as much sunlight as possible in combat, they saw it as a desperate cry for attention they were more than happy to answer.

She couldn't really help that she was a target. She didn't understand Earth's cultures and the paparazzi loved to bait her into saying things they could twist into something she didn't mean to say. Then of course there was constant speculation over which of us guys she was currently dating-naturally no one believed that the hot alien princess was single. They paired her with everyone from me, to Beast Boy, to Batman-though the last one made me chuckle. If the media only knew how hard Batman was pushing to send her home they'd never think there was anything more between them than bitterness.

Starfire had gone to the park the previous day. I knew because she came back and told me about fetching a little boy's kite that had been jerked out of his hand by a particularly hard breeze. Had something else happened that she hadn't told me? Call me over-protective if you like, but I always worry about her when she goes off alone. When I'm around the fanboys tend to keep their distance, but when I'm not she comes back with all sorts of weird questions based on the things they say and do around her.

"Care to explain why Cyborg's going to have to go out and buy us all brand new bulbs for all the lamps in the Tower?" I asked pointedly, folding my arms to let Raven know that she wasn't fooling anyone. Her violet eyes slid sideways toward Starfire again, and I saw something like pity soften her expression. Whoa, it must be really bad then. Just as she opened her mouth to tell me what it was the doors slid open behind us and Beast Boy and Cyborg walked in.

"Hey Raven, what gives? You nearly fried my generator with that power surge," Cyborg complained. Beast Boy stood beside him rubbing his eye with is fist.

"Yea, and your raven thingy came into my room and screamed at me. What did I do this time?" Beast Boy gave a long-suffering sigh and folded his arms expectantly. All eyes turned to Raven then. I was surprised she'd sent her soul self into Beast Boy's room, though it didn't surprise me that she'd used it to yell at him. None of us went into his room. Mine fields were safer than that death trap.

Irritated now, Raven waved her hand and the newspaper reappeared. I grabbed it from her before the others could see, needing to know how bad it was first so I could soften whatever blow was about to come Starfire's way.

I read the headline once and my fists clenched so quickly that I ripped the newspaper nearly in half. So much for subtlety.

"How did they find out?" I snarled at Raven. Her anger was influencing mine, I could feel it, but I didn't care. Curious, and oblivious to my rage, Cyborg reached over my shoulder to take the torn pages from me. Starfire glided closer as well and my tongue locked up on me. I should stop her, but it was already too late. She read the headline haltingly as she mentally pieced the page back together, and when she paled her vibrant orange skin turned a sickly yellow so fast I half-expected her to fall out of the air. Instinctively, I twisted toward her just in case I had to catch her.

**Tamaranian Princess Responsible for Alien Abductions, Experimentation, and Torture of Human Hostages.**

Oh, this was bad.

* * *

**A/N: okay, here's the beginning of the sequel to Foundations. A bit of a time jump because I wanted to write about their relationships after they've had time to develop. Assume that this story takes place instead of Betrothed. Anything from the show that happened before-minus Sisters-has happened. **

**Since it appears to be necessary to state, I don't own anything, but I'm pretty sure you already knew that.**

**I wanted to also thank everyone who commented on Foundations. The reviews really kept me motivated to stick to my writing schedule and keep posting. **


	2. Chapter 2

At first no one said anything.

I think we were all in shock. The League had promised that no one who knew about the Psions' true mission had been allowed to retain the information. Martian Manhunter had screened everyone personally before they were returned to their families. He had also lessened the damage that some of the worst memories would cause the youngest hostages that had been taken. Some of the children had seen things that made even my skin crawl, and as much as I hate the idea of people messing around in my head even I was okay with removing the memories of torture and violence they had seen. Had someone's memory overridden whatever Martian Manhunter had done to it?

With a small sigh, Raven used her powers to repair the damaged newspaper so Cyborg could read it out loud.

"A betrayal of the worst kind grips Jump City at the realization that it's golden protector, the Princess Starfire of Tamaran, is actually involved in a human trafficking ring of intergalactic proportions. For those of you that recall the string of disappearances last summer and the inexplicable return of nearly two-hundred missing men, women, and children, we can now bring you the full story. It is thanks to the valiant efforts of our _real_ heroes, the Teen Titans that the nefarious plan was stopped and our people brought home. A source who has been brave enough to come forward claims that they witnessed Princess Starfire boarding the alien vessel before it docked on an unnamed planet where unspeakable acts of cruelty were committed against the hostages. A battle ensued in which the Titans barely managed to escape with their lives, and the Justice League was summoned to subdue the hostile alien princess..."

I was practically panting with rage. How dare they drag Starfire's name through the mud with this filth? How could anyone who'd ever met her believe that she would ever do anything like sell humans as slaves to the Gordanians of all people. That they accused her when she was just as much of a victim as the others was more than enough to push me over the edge.

"Who wrote the article?" I growled. Cyborg was much taller than I was and I couldn't see the byline over his forearm. He lifted a brow.

"You know they'll have written under a pen name for this one."

"I don't care."

He tilted the page so I could read, _Janet Fellers. _I turned on my heel and was out of the room in seconds, leaving the others to comfort Starfire. If I said anything to her right now she'd misunderstand me. She'd think my anger was directed at her when it clearly wasn't. Someone had remembered what happened and gone to the press. The only people who had any knowledge to share were the Titans and members of the Justice League. Of those few, only one of them had been vocal in his disapproval about Starfire's continued presence in Earth.

The door to my bedroom slid open and I strode over to my desk. So far. I had managed not to hit anything, but in the minute or so that it took for my computer to turn on, my control snapped and I kicked over my desk chair. It fell with a muffled crash on the pile of dirty laundry beside my desk. It wasn't nearly enough. My fingers flexed, needing to pummel something. I looked around, searching for something I could vent my frustration on that I wouldn't regret breaking later.

Fortunately, my home screen turned on and I contented myself with stabbing in the code for the direct link to the Batcave. _  
_

Bruce wasn't there. It shouldn't have surprised me. This early in the morning he was either sleeping after a patrol or getting ready for a board meeting. Either that or he was avoiding me after pulling this little stunt. Another growl rumbled deep in my throat. I punched in a second sequence, one sure to get a response.

"Master Robin," Alfred answered on the third ring. His tone was professional and alert. I never used this line unless it was an emergency because Bruce in his paranoia hated having any lines to Alfred when so much of the butler's day was spent being surrounded by nosy maids and other service workers.

"Did he talk to the press?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain as calm as possible. I wasn't angry at Alfred after all. He inhaled slowly, as if steeling for a battle.

"Master Bruce left but five minutes ago to handle this information leak. Neither he nor I expected you would be aware of the situation until much later-"

"I get by on just as little sleep as he does," I interrupted rudely. I knew I shouldn't snap at Alfred, but it always bothered me when he took Bruce's side, which he always did. And why was Bruce handling it? Why hadn't he contacted me the moment he heard?

"I assure you, Master Robin that he is just as determined to find out what happened as you are." I snorted.

"Not likely. If the public believes this he'll get exactly what he's been hoping for for the past year. They'll send Starfire back to Tamaran on the first available ship!"

"Honestly, Master Robin, do you truly believe that a man, whose very existence depends on his trusted allies keeping his secrets, would so callously reveal theirs to the world simply because he disapproves of his son's relationship status?"

"There is no relationship, Alfred. How many times do I have to tell you? She's as good as betrothed to someone else." I sidestepped his question without remorse. Of course I thought Bruce was capable of it. This was the same man who kept files of all of the Just League members weaknesses to use against them just in case they went rogue. Heck, he kept a sliver of kryptonite in a lead-lined compartment on his utility belt just in case. Alfred let me get away with ignoring his question and chose to address what I had said instead.

"Ah yes, the proverbial suitor who stands in your way," he said sagely. I could practically hear his rolling his eyes through that crisp British accent. There were no visuals for this line, simply a direct link to his phone, so. I couldn't actually see him as we spoke. I planted both palms on my desk and leaned over my laptop, scowling at it.

"Whose side are you on, Alfred?"

"It is not a matter of sides, Master Robin."

"Tell him to contact me the moment he gets back," I snapped, wincing as I did it. Really, I don't like being short with Alfred. He was practically the only bearable person at the manor and I often thought of him like a grandfather, though it would horrify his rigid professionalism if I told him so.

"I assure you he will have plenty to say when he returns," he said cryptically. There was an edge to his voice that spoke of his disapproval. Before he could issue a full out reprimand I cut the line. I stared at my blank homepage. Did I dare see how far the media had run with the story? If I saw any more hateful lies it was entirely possible I'd put my fist through my laptop. No, before I did anything I needed to take a trip to the training room.

I changed into a fresh uniform before I emerged. Wearing my cape made me feel more in control. Robin was a force to be reckoned with, some sixteen-year-old with a mask and pajama pants...not so much. When the door slid open, all four Titans were crowded on the other side, waiting for me. Cyborg was practically standing on my toes as he tried to eavesdrop through my sound-proofed door. My eyes slid from his face to Starfire, who hung back in the edge of the group.

"Truly you should not be so upset, Robin. It was only the matter of time before the truth came out," she said sadly. I hated that compliant note in her voice. _No! It was not just a matter of time. We had this under control. No one was ever supposed to know! Someone had messed up and I needed to know who. Now!_

"It's obvious the journalist is slanted," said Raven. "That article is drenched with anti-alien feeling."

Why were they trying to shrug it off? This was serious! We had a security breach.

"Besides Dude, everybody who's anybody knows if they want to get rid of Starfire they'll have to go through us," said Beast Boy, thumping his chest proudly. I stared at them all in turn. They were all going to pretend it didn't matter. Lecturing them for an hour wouldn't convince them how serious this was.

"I'll be in the gym," I grumbled. They parted to let me pass. For a moment Starfire looked like she wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth and walked back to her room. _Walked! _I frowned after her. The only time Starfire's feet touched the ground was when she was upset. She was back to pretending again. I thought we'd gotten past this, but there she was, plastering a big, 'Oh nothing's wrong, don't mind me,' smile on her face.

"Starfire," I barked out at her. She turned, surprised.

"Meet me in the gym in ten." She nodded and quickly ducked into her room to change. This time she closed the door. Beast Boy put his hands on his hips and lifted a brow at me.

"Dude, if that's the way you ask for a date you're doing it wrong," said Beast Boy with a snort. I leveled him with a look.

"At least she's going to show up," Cyborg drawled. "Remind me again how many dates you've been on... Oh that's right, zero!" Beast Boy reddened.

"That's because you won't lend me the T-car or the R-cycle. What do you want me to do, put them on my skateboard?" His voice squeaked with agitation. When, oh when, would his voice finally crack? The rest of us were secretly counting down the days.

"You could always ride up like a pony. Girls love ponies, don't they Raven?"

"Just what every little girl dreams of, explaining to her father that since her new boyfriend doesn't have a license she's going to be riding _him_ all night long instead."

With that epic quip, Raven disappeared into her room. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and I gaped at each other.

"Did she just...?" Cyborg pointed after her in astonishment. I nodded, dazed.

"I think so."

"Dude, Raven just made a dirty joke." Beast Boy grinned.

* * *

**A/N: I fully intend to include more silliness this time around. **

**A-LionGleek, yes, BBRae fans like you might find reasons to enjoy this story too. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

Starfire had her long hair pulled back in a ponytail when she came into the gym. She rarely pulled her hair back, and it emphasized the sharp angles of her cheekbones and made her glowing green eyes stand out even more than usual. She put one hand on her hip, a show of confidence, but her feet were still firmly planted on the ground, and I knew that it was only a show.

"Robin, before we begin I have something I wish to tell you," she said softly. _Great, now what? _ She was staring at me as though I were an opponent she was about to face, and I knew I wouldn't like whatever she was about to say.

"A suitor has been selected for me."

I swung away from her, unable to believe she would spring something like that on me at a time like this. My anger spiked again, at her, at Tamaran, at the entire universe.

"If you leave now it will only make people believe the newspapers are telling the truth," I said, a little desperate to come up with any reason to keep her here. She nodded.

"I am told his planet is very far away. I have some time left before I must depart."

"And when did you find this out?" I asked, suspicious. It would be just like her to come up with a reason to leave once she believed she wasn't wanted on Earth anymore. This news had come out of nowhere and she seemed entirely too willing to accept it. Her cheeks reddened, confirming my guess. She clasped her hands behind her back and sighed.

"It is for the best Robin. As my leader I felt you should be the first to know."

As her leader...

"Starfire, we don't even know who's behind this yet. Don't give up just because-"

"I am not doing the giving up, Robin. I am merely accepting what is. I do not belong here. My place is with my planet. I only wish to enjoy what little time remains to me before I return." And before my eyes she was slipping away from me. I wanted to close the space between us and shake some sense into her, but even all my strength wouldn't be enough against her Tamaranian stubborness. She had to want to stay.

"You will always belong here, Star. You know that." It was those words that told me how much she was trying to convince herself that this was the right choice. The Titans were a family and Starfire was the heart of that family. She had been the one to travel to the future and see what became of us if she wasn't around to keep us together. I had been frantic when she'd gone through the time warp and it closed behind her. She'd reappeared almost immediately, but for that one moment when she'd disappeared I knew how devastating it would be to lose her. The future me that she'd met, Nightwing, sure he'd been better off than the rest of the Titans, but the man she described sounded painfully like the man Bruce wanted me to become. The older I got the more sure I became that Bruce's way of life wasn't for me. I needed my friends. I needed Star.

"I guess I can't stop you, Your Highness," I said bitterly. "How long do you plan to stay?"

"A week." Her voice was so soft I could barely hear it. I knew if I turned to face her I would see tears in her eyes. My hands curled into fists.

What did she want me to say?

Did she want me to argue with her, throw myself at her feet and beg her not to go? Or did she want me to smile and pat her on the head and tell her how selfless she was for putting the world's happiness before her own?

"A week," I repeated. One week. "Fine."

There was nothing left to say after that, so we simply began sparring. I was frustrated and I took it out on her, using her strength and momentum against her. She didn't hold back as much as usual either, and I knew she was fighting for control just like I was. It didn't help that she wasn't used to fighting without her flight. Twice she tried to take to the air only to forget that she was grounded, and I sent her sprawling with a well-aimed roundhouse kick. The third time it happened though, she caught my boot in midair and swung me over her head to slam me into the padded ground with a jarring thud that rattled every bone in my body. Swirling lights flashed in front of my eyes as I fought to get my breath back.

"I am finished here," she said, standing over me. She turned on her heel and left the gym, leaving me gasping on the ground for oxygen.

I waited until the others had gone to sleep that night before I snuck down to the garage. Cyborg's alarms were easy enough to disable, and I revved the engine of the R-cycle as I waited for the garage door to slide open. The entire bike vibrated with power as I shot off into the night.

There is an underground tunnel down by the beach that led to the mainland. That was how Cyborg and I were able to get our vehicles back and forth to crime scenes. I pushed my bike as fast as it would go. Safety was the least of my concerns.

Suddenly, a voice came in over the headset in my helmet.

"Robin, are you alone? I have some information for you," said Batman in clipped tones. I nearly totaled my bike as I swerved to a stop just inside the tunnel exit.

"What did you find?" I demanded. I was still angry that Bruce had gone off to handle things without talking to me about it first.

"Your source is a child." My stomach knotted.

"His family lives in West Jump. According to his school counselor, Trevor's been suffering from severe night trauma for the past six months. She told his parents to seek professional help for their son, but instead they took him to the first reporter willing to listen to his story. The reporter's name is-"

"I know. I'm already in route," I cut him off. Vaguely I wondered how he'd gotten so much information out of the school counselor. Maybe I'd have to pay them a visit too before this was over.

"Robin," Bruce's voice was heavy with disapproval. "You are letting your emotions get in the way again. Don't-" I hung up on him. Later, I might thank him for the information. At least now I knew that the source was innocent in this. It was just the people around him trying to exploit him. I shook my head as I started my bike again. This poor kid...whoever he was... I'd rather have no parents at all than the kind who cared more about being in the spotlight than seeing that their child got the treatment that he needed. I was sorely wishing I had one of Raven's portals to hell to push them through.

I pulled into the darkened alleyway behind the West End Hotel. Abandoning my bike after setting its security features, a I grappled up to the second story where a window was cracked. Peering in, I was relieved to see that the room was empty. If I was lucky the hotel guest had gone to the vending machine. I crossed the room and made my way to the door. This part would be tricky. Jump City was used to seeing the Titans out and about, but if I wasn't careful I'd have a new string of tabloid rumors explaining what I was doing sneaking out of hotel rooms at one in the morning.

Cracking open the door I inspected the hallway for the cameras I knew were watching. Spotting it almost at once, I threw a small paintball at it, which burst and coated the lens. With my cover in place, I made my way to the elevator. If I knew this journalist, she would definitely be on the top floor. Glancing around again, I pried open the doors and fired my grappling gun to the top of the elevator shaft.

The top floor was the penthouse suite. Emerging from the elevator I could see the light on under the door. Good, that would make this easier. I walked to the door and knocked. There was a gasp from the other side, followed by a giggle.

"Mmm, that must be the champagne..." purred a familiar voice. I leaned my shoulder against the side of the door jamb as Cat Grant opened the door dressed in lacy black lingerie and a silk bath robe. Her eyes flew open at the sight of me, but her thickly painted red lips parted in a seductive smile.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise, the Boy Wonder himself. It's a little past your bedtime, isn't it, Robin?"

"We need to talk," I said, determined not to be distracted as her eyes swept me up and down.

"Not much of a boy anymore, are you?" she murmured appreciatively. "Surely you must be legal by now?" I scowled, not falling for her attempt to get information about my identity from me. Even something as simple as my age could be a weapon if it was in the wrong hands. Cat's hands were definitely not ones I wanted anywhere near me or my secrets.

"Baby, what's taking so long?" groaned a deep voice from the bedroom. Ugh. Cat's eyes lit up with wicked amusement while I continued to scowl. I willed my face not to redden, and for once it actually listened to me.

"Get rid of him," I said finally. She pouted at me, and I saw the beginnings of fine lines around her eyes. God, she was old enough to be my mother. Now that was an awkward thought. Not that I had a thing against older women-if it was Catwoman standing across from me I wouldn't be holding up nearly as well-but the whole aggressive cougar thing just wasn't working for me. Then again, I was sixteen years old and the closest thing I had to a first kiss was a language transfer from Starfire when she crash-landed on Earth. I was nowhere closer to getting a second kiss now than I was then, so Cat's blatant come-hither was way more than I wanted to handle.

"Fine Bird Boy, but you'd better make it worth my while," she said softly before disappearing into the other room. I slipped into the hotel room, tucking myself into a corner until her now-disgruntled guest was gone. Once she closed the door behind him she pressed her back to the door and lowered her lashes at me.

"Well...what can I do for you?"

"Let's see, _Janet_," I said coldly, "you can start by telling me everything you know about the alien abductions last summer."

* * *

**A/N: Poor Cat, not being able to tell if Robin's legal or not. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Who tipped you off about the boy's story?" I asked once Cat had settled herself on the couch opposite from where I stood. She pulled the edges of her bathrobe together finally, only just realizing that she should at least try to be professional with me. One perfectly drawn brow arched in silent question. I was a little pacified to see that she had tried to keep the boy's identity a secret.

"You thought that the truth wouldn't come out? Hundreds of people were taken prisoner aboard that ship and experimented on by your girlfriend, and-"

"Careful," I warned in a low voice. "I was there, remember? You weren't."

Annoyance flashed in her eyes, but she quickly smoothed another alluring smile over her features.

"Why don't you tell me what really happened then?" I made a face.

"You think anyone would believe the truth if I told it to you now?"

"Oh I don't know," she purred as she drew her legs up beneath her so that her robe slipped up over her thighs. "I could always mention how desperately you defended her to me. Surely no one would question _your_ integrity." She was trying to make me uncomfortable again, hoping I would trip up and give her the story she was looking for. She toyed with the hem of her robe, trying to distract me.

"You're not my type," I said flatly. She grinned, a genuine toothy smile that made me more uncomfortable than her attempts to flirt with me.

"No, I suppose I'm not." Her eyes sparkled as she settled back against the couch cushions and regarded me in thoughtful silence. "So what is it you're after? You already know the name of my source, though I can't even begin to guess how, and you aren't here to share your side of the story, so what _do_ you want?"

"I want to know who put you up to this. You based the entire article around the nightmares of an eight-year-old boy. You have no facts, no other sources to back up his claims and yet you labeled Starfire an enemy of Earth and called for her to be banished back to her planet. Every major news outlet in the country ran with what you printed. Already the Internet is exploding with people calling for Starfire's arrest. You've never exhibited any anti-alien tendencies before in your work. Why start now, and with Starfire of all people?" I was saying too much. She was getting that speculative gleam in her eye again.

After my unsuccessful training session with Star I'd gone to my room to see what sort of traction the article had gained. Everything I'd just told Cat was true. There were blog posts everywhere demanding that Starfire be brought to justice, the comments were pulsing with ignorant hatred, and I had to simply stop reading the message forums because the profane, graphic punishments being thrown around were enough to make me want to hunt those posters down and hurt them. Some of that must have shown on my face because Cat grinned slyly at me.

"Well, well, well... Aren't you just adorable."

"More than just the Titans will be hurt if this story goes any further. You don't know what you've started. That boy isn't the only one whose memories will come back."

"Is that what you're afraid of?" she asked softly, "that more people will remember what your girlfriend did?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" I snapped. I could see I would get nowhere with her. She was too good at turning the conversation around on me. She made her living as a gossip columnist. That _Janet_ had been picked up as a reputable journalist was simply unfortunate for Starfire and everyone else linked to this story. I started for the door.

"I warned you, Ms. Grant," I threw over my shoulder. "You have no idea what you've started."

"Oh, I think I do," she murmured just as my hand reached for the door. A feeling of foreboding crept over me as I twisted the handle. A heavy weight pressed against it from the other side and I knew I was trapped.

I forced the door closed, but her accomplice threw his weight against the other side. The door flew open in a burst of clicking, flashing lights. I ducked out of the way, hoping to stay out of frame as he charged after me with her camera raised. I dropped to the ground and scissored my legs so that he toppled backwards, cracking his skull against the edge of the door. Cat smacked her forehead impatiently with her palm.

"You clumsy ox," she groaned, aiming her camera phone after me as I darted past her cameraman and ran for the elevator. Her footsteps thudded softly behind me, and I knew she snapped at least one shot of me prying open the elevator doors. I cursed violently under my breath as I quickly slid down the greased wires to land with a thud on the elevator car three floors down. It was too dark for her to see me now, but I didn't take any chances.

As I sped home on the R-cycle I imagined the various headlines that would grace the covers of the shopping magazines next. If she was smart-and clearly I had underestimated her-she would already have posted the most incriminating of her photographs online before I even reached the Tower. I was such an idiot! At least it was too late for her to make the morning editions. I had a little time to brace the others first.

What exactly did I tell them though? The question haunted me as I pulled into the garage and swung my leg over my bike. With the alarms disabled none of the motion capturing features were on, meaning that I had to navigate my way to the door in the dark. I nearly tripped and broke my neck on Cyborg's toolbox that was poking out from beneath the front end of the T-car. I gave it a rough kick, venting my self-loathing a little at the same time. It was moments like this that I dreaded. I hate failing at anything, especially when I failed so spectacularly that it was going to be splashed across every media form known to man. As I trudged up the stairs I decided that I'd rather suffer another stint as Slade's apprentice than have to explain to the others why here were pictures of me sneaking out of a woman's hotel room in the middle of the night.

Loud voices could be heard coming from the common room as I passed. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing video games again. I frowned. They had both been asleep in their rooms when I'd left. Beast Boy's snores shake the walls of my room and I'm at the opposite end if the hall.

Knowing that these two would be the hardest to face, I decided to just bite the gullet and tell them now so that I wouldn't have to deal with it in the morning.

"Yo, Rob, where you been?" asked Cyborg, looking up when I entered. I sighed heavily and sank into the end if the couch as far from them as I could get.

"I went to find the reporter who wrote the article about Starfire," I said quietly. Beast Boy picked up the remote and muted their game.

"Dude, why didn't you take us?"

"I thought I'd have more luck if I went alone," I admitted, hunching my shoulders at how wrong I had been on that one. They stared at me.

"Well...how'd it go?"

I scratched the back of my head, squinting up at the ceiling as. I avoided their eyes. "Not like I'd hoped. I uh...might have made things worse." Heat was creeping up my neck into my face. I gritted my teeth as embarrassment stole through me. They were grinning now.

"Dude, they think Starfire kidnaps and tortures people for fun! How could you make it _worse_?" Beast Boy rolled his eyes.

"Cat Grant has pictures of me leaving her hotel room," I said in a rush. "And I think the photographer she had with her has a couple with her in the background wearing next to nothing. Go online if you don't believe me. She's had plenty of time to upload them by now." They both had their mouths open. Almost immediately Cyborg lifted his arm to pull up the little console in his forearm. Beast Boy half-climbed over his shoulder to see as he pulled up a quick search. I knew from their expressions the moment they saw the photos.

"Oh man, that's bad..." Cyborg said, utterly serious. Visions of Cat Grant in her lingerie presenting herself to me flashed before my eyes and I shuddered.

"Nothing happened," I said, a little defensive.

"Nah man, not the picture. You should see what she wrote." Cyborg tilted his arm toward me and drawn out of sheer morbid curiosity, I got up to take a closer look.

"Robin came to me tonight desperate for me to retract my expose about his teammate's involvement in last summer's abductions. The Boy Wonder claims that despite outward appearances he and Starfire have never actually been a couple. He has been forced to cover for her after her deplorable actions last summer for fear of what she will do to the people of earth should he reveal her. Despite all that he has achieved and accomplished in his young life it is sometimes easy to forget that the Boy Wonder is in fact only a boy, one who clearly has been in way over his head for longer than anyone could have realized. For more on my late-night interview with Robin, look for my article in the evening edition of the Daily Planet."

I didn't know which was worse, the words or the photograph. Her photographer had indeed managed to capture a shot of me glancing over my shoulder at Cat, who was leaning up on her knees with her silk robe wide open to reveal the black lacy ensemble she had been wearing. No one who saw that photo wouldn't believe that our 'interview' hadn't been conducted across her pillows. I gaped at it. It was as if the Robin in the picture was a stranger, every inch the playboy that the tabloids wanted him to be. For years I'd avoided getting caught standing too close to any of the females I'd saved, desperate not to get sucked into just this scenario. In one night I'd taken my spotless record and upended an entire case of ink on top of it.

"_That's_ what she was wearing when you talked to her?" Beast Boy asked, dumbfounded. I glared at him.

"When I got there she was _entertaining_," I mumbled. "I just didn't realize her guest was her also photographer.

"When Star sees this she's going to flip," said Cyborg quietly. Neither of them were laughing. That they both recognized how serious this was only me made me realize how much I'd screwed up.

"She knows I'd never do something like this."

"Dude, they've got you on camera with some half-naked lady!" Beast Boy waved his arms in the air as if that would help make his point. Cyborg rolled his eyes.

"He's right. She might not believe that you said any of this, but there's no denying that you were there. She's gonna' be hurt, man."

"You mean jealous?" Unfortunately my voice cracked a little when I said it. "Starfire and I are just friends. She's not going to care about that." I knew it was a lie. I'd have to be blind not to notice the attention she pays me that she doesn't give anyone else, but she knew me too well to think I'd ever do something like this.

"Just let me be the one to break it to her, okay?" Once I told her the truth she'd understand. I was convinced. Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged a look. Clearly they weren't.

"It's your funeral, dude."

"Yea, you couldn't pay me to be in your shoes right now."

"Thanks guys," I said dryly, heaving myself off the couch. Tomorrow was going to be horrible, I already knew it.


	5. Chapter 5

There were thirteen missed transmissions from the Batcave on my communicator when I woke the next morning. When I saw the flashing light I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. No way was I dealing with _him_ first thing in the morning, not today.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were in the hallway outside my door.

"D'you think he's told her yet?" That was Beast Boy. I squashed my pillow over my head. Was this what they did, skulk around watching me blunder around like their own private reality tv star?

"What do you think, he's not even awake yet," said Cyborg impatiently.

"He might have told her before he went to sleep."

Cyborg laughed before quickly smothering it.

"After last night the last place he'd be caught dead is in one of the girl's rooms." I growled under my breath. So much for keeping it quiet until I had time to break the news to the girls. Flinging my covers back I crossed my room in two strides and opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"We just came to tell you that you'd better move fast if you want to be the one to break the news to Star. The story is all over the news."

"Thanks," I mumbled, scrubbing my face with my hand. "I'll meet you in the common room." It was a not-so-subtle suggestion for them to beat it. Once they disappeared around the corner I fixed my attention on Starfire's door. Cyborg was right. After everything that had happened it was a little daunting to walk up and knock. I could hear her getting out of bed to answer it. For just a nanosecond I pictured her opening the door dressed in the black lingerie Cat Grant had been wearing. Desire hit me like a fist low in my belly. God if I ever saw Starfire dressed like that...

I was standing there trying to wipe my brain clean of that wonderfully painful image when the door slid open.

Thank god she was dressed this time, though the thin white spaghetti strap shirt and skin-tight boy shorts were hardly helping my situation. Her red hair was tousled around her face and she smiled sleepily at me through half-lidded eyes.

"Greetings, Robin, did you have pleasant _slorvaks_?"

So sweet... So innocent... God she was so beautiful.

"Uh slorvaks...yea... I slept well thanks. Um, Star, d'you think we could talk for a minute? There's something I need to tell you."

A strange mixture of emotions crossed her face: fear, shock, and what I thought was hope before she bit her lip and dropped her chin.

"Robin, if you wish to try and make me change my mind about leaving then I-"

"-No, nothing like that," I clarified quickly. _My life would be so much simpler if that was all._ "No. Um, it's about last night and where I was." Her brows drew together curiously and she tilted her head to the side as she stepped back to let me into her room. I hesitated. I know it's silly. I knew there were no cameramen waiting to leap out from behind her curtains, but I felt as though my every move was under surveillance now. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities that Bruce had found a way to spy on us here in the tower-though the thought of him watching video footage of Starfire in her room was enough to stiffen my spine and get me across the threshold.

"You were not in your room last night?" she asked, hovering in midair as I stood in the center of the room. I felt like I was on trial.

"I went to see the reporter who wrote that article about you..." I explained in a rush.

"Xhal, Robin," she muttered under her breath. "Truly it makes no difference now. I will leave Earth before my presence can cause strain to the relations with the public."

"I had to, Star. She knew things she wasn't supposed to. I needed to know how much she knew. I-"

"She?" The way she said that one little word stopped my world on its axis. She looked at me as if seeing me clearly for the first time. My mouth went unexpectedly dry.

"I take it your meeting with this female did not go as planned...?" Her tone was odd as she tried to puzzle out what I was trying to tell her. I fidgeted.

"Long story short there are pictures of me sneaking out of her hotel room this morning. The reporter is trying to make it seem like something happened between us. She's got a lot of evidence on her side..." I trailed off bitterly, angry at myself all of again. God I'd been so stupid! Starfire was silent, just staring at me.

Finally, she giggled.

It was the last reaction I expected from her. I jerked my head up and saw her trying to hide her smile behind a wave of crimson hair. Desire sucker-punched me again.

"Oh Robin, my apologies. It must be very uncomfortable for you, but it is not the big deal what stories this woman makes up about you. It does not matter if you are caught with a hundred different women, your prowess as a crime fighter is the only truth that really matters to the city. It must have been very bad if you thought to warn me." She had the nerve to giggle again. Such an adorable sound and yet at that moment, so irritating. I felt like an even bigger idiot than before. My face was practically glowing now. Seeing my embarrassment, she swooped forward to grab my arm. "Please do not be embarrassed. I am grateful that you took the time to warn me. You believed my feelings would be hurt by the woman's claims, yes? Raven tells me that I can sometimes seem possessive of you when other females are around. It is not my intention to be a burden to you."

"You're not!" I blurted out. Instantly I wished the words into oblivion. They made me sound like such a dork! But of course I didn't mind when she got possessive of me. What guy would mind that?

"Actually, Robin, you have just given me the perfect opportunity to ask you about something that I have been thinking about ever since I made the decision to return to my planet."_ Great, here we go. _"It occurs to me that my people are not as...nice as humans. When I return my entire future will be in the hands of others. I wish...that is, before I go I want to experience the Earthen courtship rituals. From what I have observed they seem most...nice." She beamed at me and my head filled with fuzzy white noise. Was she asking me what I thought she was asking?

"Robin, would it be possible for you to contact Speedy on my behalf? I am unaware of the protocol one must follow in order to arrange the 'date.'"

Flames, that's what my dreams went down in, a raging inferno of bright, green, Starfire flames. She wasn't interested in me, she wanted Speedy. Why had I never picked up on it before? I mean he liked her, but just about every guy did. None of us really stood much of a chance. Maybe it wouldn't sting so much if he wasn't so much like me. Honestly I think I'd rather set her up with Kid Flash than Speedy. At least I knew there were things Wally could do that I'd never manage in a million years, but _Speedy_? There was nothing that Speedy could do that I couldn't-and no the whole arrows thing doesn't count because my birdarangs are ten times more useful than flippin' arrows that are terrible to use in close combat. _Get a grip_, I told myself, realizing that I was ranting to myself.

"Speedy...?" I repeated slowly. Maybe...maybe now would be a good time to try asking her out myself. If all she wanted was the experience then I could give her hearts, flowers, and romance for one night. She wouldn't have to know it was the real thing.

"Starfire, if you want to go on a date I could take you." I was impressed by how calmly I said it. In my head I was doing cartwheels. I had just asked her out! She looked bewildered and shy at the question. _That was good, right?_ Her feet touched the ground. _Oh. No. That's bad_.

She put a hand on my shoulder and I wanted to die of embarrassment.

"Robin, you are my best friend. I will always cherish the times that we have shared, but if we were to go on the date it would not be real. I want to remember us as we are and not what you pretended to be for me. I believe Speedy will accept because he has done the flirting with me in the past." _He has? When?! _

"You can just call him and ask to see a movie," I said stiffly. "Trust me it would be weird if I asked for you." Weird because I'd be giving him the Bat-glare if he even considered saying yes._  
_

"Truly, that is all? And he will accept?"

"He'd have to be an idiot to say no," I said, letting more of my real feelings show than I meant to. She smiled at me, that smile she reserved only for me. At least I thought it had been only for me. For all I knew it was the same look she gave Speedy whenever he'd been flirting with her. Gah, that was going to drive me crazy!

"Um, I should probably go, I have some calls to make and I promised Cyborg and Beast Boy I'd meet up with them..." But she was already reaching for her communicator, the one that would give her a direct line to each member of the Titan Organization, including the red-headed archer who'd stolen her out from under my nose without me even realizing it. Maybe he was better than me at something after all.

With a heavy heart I left her to make her call. God knows that was one conversation I didn't want to eavesdrop on.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, just to be clear, this is not Starfire trying to make Robin jealous. She just wants to go on a casual date to know what it's like. I haven't really delved into her point of view much yet, but on Tamaran there is no kissing, no hand-holding, and no choice for her as the princess. With Speedy she can expect some light flirting but no broken hearts on either side. Robin is the person that matters most to her and she doesn't want to risk changing their relationship to something more when she knows they can't have a future. It may or may not be a coincidence that her choice for a date happens to be the next best thing to Robin. I also want to point out that Robin has kept her in the friend zone too, and she doesn't realize how jealous she's just made him by asking for his help. **

**Next chapter we see how Batman likes Robin's midnight adventure. **


	6. Chapter 6

Beast Boy and Cyborg were waiting for me when I got to the Common Room. They pretended to be playing a video game, but both of them looked around as soon as the doors opened and neither cared that both race cars exploded into the side of their virtual racetrack.

"So...?" Cyborg said immediately, setting down his controller. _Wow, was my misfortune really that interesting that he didn't want to waste time pausing his game to hear about it?_

"I have some calls to make," I muttered, turning around on my heel and walking back the way I had come. My rejection was still too fresh in my mind. I couldn't take any more teasing about it.

A rolled up wrapper from a breakfast burrito bounced off the back of my head.

"It couldn't have been that bad. I don't see any burn marks so she didn't blast you. What did she say?"

"She wants to go on a date wit Speedy," I snapped. Really that had nothing to do with his question, but it was the only part of my failed visit to her room that really mattered to me at that moment, and it effectively shut him up. Beast Boy straight up fell off the couch.

"What?!"

"Isn't it too early in the day for your head to explode?" Raven asked, gliding into the room behind us. Her eyes were on Beast Boy, though I could tell that she was reading all our emotions as she came up to hover beside me. "Is something wrong? You've been distracted lately." I sighed heavily.

"I thought I could convince the reporter to retract her story so Starfire would change her mind about leaving, but it blew up in my face and now I'm all over the front page instead, and Starfire has decided that she wants to go on a date with Speedy," I summarized in a monotone. Somewhere in the kitchen a glass shattered. _I know,_ I agreed, _I can't believe she chose him over me either_.

"Starfire's leaving?"

All three of them were staring at me open-mouthed. _Oh, had she not told them?_

"When?" Cyborg demanded. He half-rose from the couch so that we were on eye level.

"In a week. I thought she told you all."

Suddenly I felt bad. She had probably wanted to tell them herself. Why had she waited so long?

"Group meeting," Raven growled as her eyes lit up with white light. She disappeared in a black raven, but reappeared almost instantly hauling Starfire with her and dropping her on top of the couch. Starfire let out a small 'oomph' of surprise.

"Raven, you are...upset?" she said curiously. Cyborg crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his human eye at her.

"So what's this about you leaving in a week and not telling us about it?"

Her eyes flew open before she whipped her head around to stare at me. Inwardly I cringed. I should have apologized, but my mouth wouldn't form the words with the others watching us.

"Tamaran needs me," she said simply, lifting her chin. The others broke into loud cries of denial. I don't think she heard them though, she was still fixing me with a look of betrayal. Like a coward, I backed away. At that precise moment my communicator began to buzz. I knew without looking down who it must be. My face drained of all color, and surprisingly some of the hostility drained from Starfire's face as if she also knew who was calling.

"Guys, I've got to take this," I mumbled, retreating with my tail between my legs. No one was paying any attention to me anymore though.

"Robin," I answered on the final ring. In hindsight it probably wasn't a good idea to keep him waiting any longer than necessary, but I wanted to be well out of earshot of the others before the Bat bomb detonated. I'd made it back to my room.

"What were you doing in _that _woman's hotel room at one in the morning?" he asked softly. Oh, I was in big trouble if he wasn't going to lead off with a lecture. No he wanted to lure me into a false sense of security by giving me a chance to hang myself on my own excuses.

"So if it was some other woman it would be okay?" I asked. I don't know what I was thinking. Alright, I admit it. I was scared. I had screwed up big time and now I had to face Batman's wrath on top of everything else. Hardened criminals burst into tears at his feet so excuse me if I have a moment or two of apprehension when he turns his anger my way. It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't know it was all completely my fault. And because I was nervous I was trying to deflect him with humor. It's a strategy that's never really worked well with him, but one day I know it's going to do the trick.

"You're still a minor, _Boy_ Wonder!" His voice was rising. My temper was starting to flare up too. That's the other technique that hasn't proven very effective when dealing with him either.

"So sue her. That's what your lawyers are for."

"Batman doesn't have lawyers, you idiot!"

Oh. Yea, there is that... Sheepishly I raked my fingers through my hair as I admitted to that small defeat. He wasn't done though.

"Did you wake up and ask yourself, 'what is the worst possible way I could make this situation worse?' Because you've succeeded with flying colors. Now the world thinks your girlfriend kidnaps and tortures people for fun and that _you_ climb into bed with women twice your age! What's next, is the changeling going to announce that he runs a dog fighting ring, or is the witch going to reveal that she sacrifices babies under the full moon? _What the hell is the matter with you, Dick?" _

_Ooh, he slipped into my civilian name, he was beyond pissed._

"She's not my girlfriend." Repeating it over and over didn't lessen the sting. Somehow, that was the part that cut deepest.

"I don't care if she's your girlfriend or your imaginary friend she is ruining everything that you have worked for. The sooner you get rid of her the better off everyone will be." _Everyone except Starfire._

"I was trying to protect my team-"

"Don't tell me you were trying to protect your team when the only one you were trying to protect is that girl. What, did she threaten to leave you so you rushed off to scare away the 'bad reporters that were printing mean things about her?'" It didn't sound right when he used a singsong voice. My hand was shaking around the communicator. This was it, the old argument that we kept coming back to. Batman hated Starfire. It wasn't personal, he just couldn't stand that she had no weaknesses. He couldn't control her if she ever went rogue, and we'd seen in the Citadel what she was capable of if she ever lost control. He hadn't been there at the time, but he'd seen how it had shaken me, and that was more than enough in his book to condemn her.

"This is my problem, not yours." I fought for calm. It was a losing battle.

"You think I can't see where this is headed? She plans to go back home and you're going to do everything in your power to try and change her mind. Get a grip, Dick, and let her go!" It's scary how right he is all the time.

"Don't get your tights in a twist. If anyone's going to convince her to stay it's not going to be me. She's got a thing for Speedy."

There was silence on the other end for a long time and then dark, mirthless laughter rolled through the airwaves sending shivers down my spine. Batman. Should. Never. Laugh.

"Is that what this is? You were trying to make her jealous by getting caught with an older woman?"

"I already told you why I did it. Cat Grant is after my team. For some reason she's trying to lead a witch hunt against Starfire and she's got way more insight into what happened last summer than she should. She's based in Metropolis and she's never shown any resentment of Superman in her articles, yet with little more than some figments of a boy's confused dreams she's demanding that Starfire be labeled an interplanetary criminal. It doesn't make sense."

"Irrelevant if the alien leaves," said Batman bluntly.

"Stop calling her that!"

"Wake up, Dick! She may be a princess but this is not a fairytale and you are not Prince Charming. Now you have a sex scandal on top of the other one to deal with. How do you think your relationship with the mayor is going to like that? He's a politician, he can't be seen openly supporting your actions with his reelection coming up in the Fall. Once again you don't think about anything but what's right in front of you. You've jeopardized your entire team's safety trying to impress some girl you'll never have. I hope you're proud of yourself!"

He hung up.

Whew! I let out a shaky breath. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. I'd be hearing about this for the next ten years. He'd simply run out of things to say for the moment. I covered my face with my hand.

What was I going to do? Was Bruce right? Should I just let things blow over on their own? If Starfire left it wouldn't matter anyway what people thought. No, I countered. It would matter. I couldn't let them think she was a criminal. I couldn't let them believe she'd been manipulating the team for her own ends. She deserved to be remembered as a hero. Also, I couldn't let the world think that the Titans were anybody's puppets. We were a family. Family protected each other. I glanced at my now-silent communicator and snorted. Well, most families did anyway. Mine was too psychotic to see the difference between protecting and dominating.


	7. Chapter 7

I think we were all relieved when an alert came over the computer of a crime in progress. It was late afternoon and the others had finally realized they couldn't talk Starfire out of leaving. Without even waiting to hear where we were going Raven phazed out of the tower. Cyborg inspected the moniter and pointed, "Jump City bank has been hit." I nodded, checking to make sure none of our usual suspects were involved.

"Right. We'd better get there fast. Starfire, you're with me. Cyborg and Beast Boy meet up with us as soon as you can." Before I'd finished giving out orders I was already reaching for Starfire's hand. It closed around mine before she whirled us into the air. I loved flying with her, even though it made me look kinda silly being dragged along like a sack of flour. I'm an acrobat. I was born to be in the air, and Starfire makes it so much fun. But we were on a mission and I had to swallow back a whoop of excitement as we swooped over the Jump City Harbor on the way to the bank.

I heard the police sirens a block before I saw their flashing lights. They'd formed a barricade around the entrance to the bank. Judging by the drawn weapons and bullet shields there was an armed robbery in progress. Great...

"How would you have me proceed?" Starfire asked shortly. She was still a little upset with me for telling the others. Not enough to distract her, but enough that she didn't want to talk to me any more than she had to. I scanned the situation. The bank had a dark tinted glass storefront and skylights on the roof. It would be easy for Starfire to blast one open, but I didn't know how many hostages were inside or what kind of weapons the robbers had with them.

"Drop me over there by the side door and you distract them from the front. Don't engage until I give you the signal."

"Understood." We soared up and over the bank before she released my hands to circle back. I somersaulted safely into the forked boughs of the huge gingko tree. As I watched, Starfire did as instructed and landed smoothly in a deep crouch in the center of the cleared space. Everything got kind of quiet, you know apart from the squawking two-way radios and shrieking sirens. Slowly, drawing all eyes on her, Starfire straightened so that her back arched and the muscles of her legs rippled beneath the skin-tight boots. A soft breeze blew her hair across her cheek. She had a totally captive audience.

Using the distraction she had given me I slipped in through the side door. A quick scan with the infrared vision capabilities in my mask told me that there was only one person not lying flat on the ground. One I could handle with no problem.

Naturally the hostages saw me first. An old woman lying face-down on the floor caught sight of my boot and lifted her head with a gasp. So much for a sneak attack. I grimaced. The gunman turned, but I already had a birdarang flying through the air. He dropped the gun as it sliced across his wrist, drawing blood. In the time it took him to recover I had crossed the floor-dodging the bank patrons lying in the way-and sent a round-house kick aiming for his ribs. Somehow he managed to dodge out of the way and clip the back of my head with his elbow. Bright lights winked in front of my eyes. It was a lucky strike, but my knees buckled nonetheless.

Behind us there was a growl as the rotating door spat out Starfire, who was flying full-speed toward him. Her glowing hand closed around his throat and she held him immobile at arm's length. He had no superpowers, not even very good martial arts skills, so he was easily contained by her alien strength.

"It is the okay. You are safe now," she informed the hostages. Twelve men and women shakily got to their feet. Behind us the cops rushed in to take over the scene. A little embarrassed, I stood up and went to help the old woman who'd spotted me when I first came in.

"Figures he'd go for her," whispered someone behind me. "I knew he liked older women but I didn't realize he liked them that old."

"Excuse me?" I turned, pulling the woman up by her elbow. She pulled roughly out of my grasp with a small harrumph. I lifted an eyebrow after her.

The guy that spoke was in his early twenties and wearing a black t-shirt with a skull and crossbones across the front. He was leaning down to whisper to the girl next to him who had on a pair of ripped up jeans and a black tank top. She started to laugh, but covered her mouth when she saw that I'd heard him. Ignoring me, her boyfriend watched Starfire as she handed the robber into police custody.

"She must be a lousy lay if you'd rather be some cougar's boy toy."

My mind suddenly became very calm. A glass wall appeared, holding my anger at bay. He was trying to provoke me. He probably wanted to build himself back up in front of his girl after what had just happened. Still, he wasn't very smart if he was choosing to pick a fight with me to do it. I easily pictured about five different ways I could lay him out without even moving from my spot. Birdarangs were handy like that. Still, I stilled my throwing hand.

"Do you have to share her or is she one of the perks of being the leader?" The girl beside him gasped and elbowed him in the ribs. The consequencesfor breaking his nose in front of a dozen witnesses flashed before my eyes. I walked past them. If I stayed, he'd only keep getting worse. Already I wanted his throat in my hands. He wasn't the first guy to talk about Starfire like that in front of me though. Tough guys loved to try to provoke a reaction out of me by using her.

"Ms. Starfire, now that we've got you here we'd like to ask you a couple of questions," I heard one of the officers say as I approached. Innocently. Starfire turned to give him her full attention, but I knew what was coming and angrily shouldered my way between them.

"No." The cop blushed, not realizing I'd been paying attention. At a crime scene I see and hear everything. You never know when one innocent comment is a sign of a hidden accomplice. He hadn't exactly been whispering. His mouth turned down with disappointment. He was in his mid-thirties and starting on a beer belly.

"But Robin, this is a matter of-"

"The Titans have nothing to say at this time." I took another step forward, shielding Starfire behind me.

"I bet if Cat Grant was around we could get him to talk," muttered one of the other cops standing nearby. My ears burned and my fingers flexed convulsively.

"Robin...?" said Starfire softly. I couldn't tell if she was confused or anxious because I didn't turn around to look. Her fingers caught in my cape, pulling me against her. The warmth of her body heated my back. I was hyper aware of her curves pressed against me but I continued to glare at the two cops to pretend I didn't notice.

"She's the one you should be arresting, not me," spat the robber from the floor where they were searching him for more weapons. Starfire flinched.

"I read what she did. She's a monster. She needs to be put down!" Only one or two heads nodded in agreement, but it was enough to send chills down my spine. Had the public really turned on us that fast-after only one article? There hadn't even been any proof!

"She just saved everyone. Do you really think the Justice League and I would let her get away with it, that she's capable of something like that?" It was a mistake to engage him. It only drew attention to his accusations.

"I just have some questions I want to ask her. We can do this here or we can do it down at the station."

That deadly calm crept over me again. I glared at the officer.

"Under no circumstances are you going to take a member of my team." Over my dead body...or theirs, which was much more likely. The cop didn't like that.

"You're not above the law, Robin. She's a suspect in one of the largest kidnapping cases in history. We have every right to take her in."

"Good luck trying. You've got a cell you think that can hold her?" I was subconsciously settling into a battle stance. Starfire still had her hand over my shoulder blade. I felt a tremble go through her and it almost undid me.

"We'll take you both in for resisting arrest," said his blond-haired partner with arrogant certainty.

"Oh, we're under arrest now, are we?" I asked sarcastically. These morons didn't have a prayer of taking the both of us. There was no way Starfire would allow herself to be handcuffed and imprisoned, even if she could break out without even straining herself. It was the idea of captivity that still gave her nightmares. As for me, I'm not stupid. I knew that the whole thing with Cat Grant was pretty low on the list of info they wanted from me. Gotham's police had been trying for years to catch me in the hopes of using me to catch Batman.

"Don't act like you're innocent in this. We've got photographic evidence of your after hours activities. You may face down bullets for breakfast, but you're still a minor, aren't you? You are the _Teen_ Titans, after all." The blond one was getting brave now.

"Starfire, I think it's time for us to go." I felt her nod as her fingers curled against my back. To my complete shock, both cops drew their guns and pointed them at us.

"Robin, Starfire, you're under arrest."

"You're making a mistake gentlemen." Starfire and I slid back a step. All eyes were on us now. Moving my hand subtly, I activated a distress beacon on my belt. Cyborg and Beast Boy needed to turn back before they got caught up in this mess.

The first cop lunged for my cape and I spun out of the way. Starfire stiff-armed his partner before catching my hand and shooting into the air. She fired a starbolt at the skylight directly overhead. Plexiglas rained down on us and she curved her body over mine to protect me as we shot through the jagged hole that remained.

"Titans, turn back. Friendlies have turned hostile. Turn back!"


	8. Chapter 8

"What happened?" Cyborg asked. As Starfire gained height I could spot the T-car swerving around in the intersection at the end of the street to do a one-eighty and head back to the tower.

"Dude, you're gonna make me carsick!" Beast Boy whined in the background. I wasn't the only one who'd spotted the T-car. Two cruisers backed out from the barricade to shoot off in pursuit. I swore under my breath. This had deteriorated faster than I could ever have suspected. _But not faster than Bruce expected_, said a mean little voice in the back of my mind. Pushing that unpleasant thought to the back of my head for another time, I squeezed Starfire's hand to alert her to the problem the others were facing. The T-car could easily outpace the police, but traffic was no on their side. A red light two blocks ahead of them had traffic at a standstill. _  
_

"We can't let the police pull them over," I shouted so Starfire could hear me over the roar of the air rushing by us as we zoomed in closer. She dived, swooping straight into the path of the leading cop car. I was strangely torn. Batman and I often engaged the police in order to get away, but in Jump I had worked hard to establish a working relationship with the local law enforcement. Fleeing was already straining that relationship, but as I reached into my belt to pull out a birdarang I knew that there would be no turning back from this moment. It couldn't be helped though. The Titans couldn't afford to be taken into custody. The Mayor had been trying to get access to the Tower's secrets since the day we officially opened our doors. Without us to stop them he would send in more cops to raid the tower, and though it would take them a while they would eventually find a way past our security codes.

Squeezing my eyes shut I fired my birdarang at the lead car's front tire. It exploded, jerking the car to the right. I winced as it mounted the curb and narrowly missed hitting a telephone pole.

The traffic light turned green, and the T-car wove in and out of traffic. The second cop car was stopped by a pile-up behind the first, but the officer in the passenger seat hopped out and pointed his pistol at us.

"Starfire, higher!" I shouted as he opened fire. Pedestrians screamed and fell to the ground.

"Do I engage?" asked Starfire. Suddenly she grimaced and we lost about a foot of altitude.

"Starfire!" She'd been hit.

"It is nothing. It is only the scratch. Please, do the hanging on." I tucked in my legs, making myself as aerodynamic as possible as she picked up speed and carried us back out over the harbor toward the tower.

"Where are you hit?" I twisted around, trying to see her. She pinched her lips together and refused to answer. It was her Tamaranean pride again. She would not show weakness during a fight, even if that meant battling to the death. I think she was biologically incapable of it pulling back. I flashed back to the Citadel when she had battled her demented sister, Blackfire. Star had spent hours under torture and pumped full of green energy until her cells were practically bursting with it, yet the moment her sister had engaged her, she'd gone feral.

"Star!" I squeezed her hands to get her attention. She grunted.

"It is my leg. It will heal within the hour." I doubted that. She always downplayed her injuries.

The tower loomed in front of us. She dropped me above the roof. I rolled to slow my momentum. Starfire gasped and crashed onto one knee. I ran to her side and saw a trail of blood sliding down her left leg from a wound on her thigh, just above her boot.

"Dang it, Star," I muttered under my breath, applying pressure to the wound with one hand while I reached for my communicator with the other.

"Raven, we need you on the roof. Starfire's been shot."

She didn't waste time responding. Instead she appeared next to me, her eyes and hands glowing with healing power. Starfire protested, squirming and denying that the damage was as bad as it looked.

"What happened?" asked Raven in a dangerously low voice I'd learned to be nervous around. Fortunately, I knew that her anger wasn't directed at me this time. Starfire gave a little yelp as Raven's magic accelerated the healing process. The trade-off to Raven's healing abilities was that in order to experience the benefits of accelerated healing you also had to feel all the pain of it at once. Sometimes it was almost worth waiting for nature to do it's work than suffer through a speedy recovery.

Quickly, I explained what had happened. Raven stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. For a moment, I felt like something else was looking out from those eyes.

"They'll be on the island within the hour. Star, we should get you inside." Without waiting for a response from either of them I slid an arm beneath Starfire and the other behind her back and lifted her into my arms. To my surprise she didn't fight me or tap into her flight, meaning I had to bear her full weight through the door and down the narrow staircase. Raven followed us, still scowling.

"What were you thinking?" she asked. Once before I'd heard her voice take on that strange, multi-layered tone. It was creepy, like she was being possessed. We'd never spoken about it. Every time I brought it up she either brushed me off or straight up vanished. Eventually I just gave up, assuming that if it was important she would tell me. "You should never have gone after the press." Slowly, I turned, Starfire still cradled against my chest. As much as I hate to admit it, I was grateful for the buffer between us.

"No. It is my fault," said Starfire in a small voice. "It is my secret that Robin has worked so hard to protect. I should allow the police to do the arresting of me. Perhaps if I tell them what occurred they would cease targeting the Titans. I could-"

"No, Star. This is not up for debate. I know you feel guilty about what happened, I know you think those people were kidnapped because the Psions were searching for you, but there's more at stake here than just you. Everyone who was taken had abilities that were beyond normal humans. If the truth came out about why they were taken then their lives will never be the same again. They'll become targets. They've already been through enough as it is. We have to protect them. Besides," i added, unable to hide my bitterness, "you've already decided that you're not going to be around for much longer. Once everyone realizes you've gone back to your planet they'll leave the Titans alone. No one really cares about whether or not I slept with Cat Grant." Her eyes widened momentarily, filling with a strange emotion I couldn't decipher.

"Then perhaps I should do the leaving now before I bring any more misfortune to you." Instinctively, I tightened my grip around her.

"Besides, don't you have a date with Speedy to get ready for?" Raven asked. She was back to her normal voice, though it sounded a little dryer than usual. From the sounds of it, she thought the date with Speedy was just about as stupid as I did. Starfire's shoulders slumped and something unspoken passed between the two girls. Whatever the message was, it made Starfire blush and hunch her shoulders.

"I think you're going to have to call and cancel the date," I said seriously. "The Tower is about to come under siege."

I carried Starfire to the couch in the common room where I gingerly set her down. Already her wound was little more than a patch of shiny scar tissue on her thigh, but after a couple more hours her Tamaranean biology would erase all traces of the injury. We got there just as Cyborg and Beast Boy were bounding up from the garage. A second round of explanations had to be given. When he realized that everything tied into my poorly-thought-out plan to visit Cat Grant, Cyborg threw up his hands in frustration.

"You've gone and turned the whole city against us!"

"Don't worry, it'll be all right," I lied. The Tower had been designed to stand up against superhuman attacks. We had our own generator, our own water treatment capabilities, and I had learned every contingency plan imaginable from Bruce on how to stock up supplies in case you needed to hole up in your own proverbial Batcave. We had enough food stored in the basement to feed an army, and there were plenty of batteries and supplies to last us for at least a couple of weeks. Worst case, we would escape using the T-ship or T-car.

"Please, allow me to do the turning in of myself. It will spare you this trouble," Starfire pleaded. I glared at her.

"No. End of discussion."

"Hey guys," Beast Boy interrupted, looking at the wall-sized computer monitor. "I think they're here."

There were two helicopters heading straight for us. Behind them were three boats leaving the Jump City marina. The enemy was indeed at the gate.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Just to clear up a couple of things. Robin isn't really in much trouble for getting caught with Cat. It's only his reputation that's suffering at the moment. Since the story is told from his pov he keeps mentioning it because it's bothering him that he got caught looking like he's doing something so stupid. It's his integrity that's coming under fire. As for Starfire seeming weak over the bullet, that was her friends making a big deal over her, not her. Robin overeacted. She would have been fine. But so far as I know she is not bulletproof. However, on the show we never saw her go up against gunfire so let's just say she underestimated how much it hurts.**

* * *

The alarms went off as soon as the police landed on the shore. Grim-faced, we watched them scramble up the hill. Raven shifted restlessly. It would be easy enough for her to terrify them back to their boats, but it wouldn't work for very long. Cyborg pulled every angle of surveillance up on the screen. The helicopter was attempting to land on the roof, but our weapons defense system was engaged and a large laser was aiming toward the aircraft. The driver couldn't see to land or use his instruments because our programs were scrambling his equipment.

"So what's the plan?" Cyborg asked quietly. "They're not just going to go away quietly."

"We'll wait until they fall back a little, thenI will go talk to them. Whatever happens do not let them into the Tower." Not for one moment did I believe things had escalated this quickly over a couple of tabloid articles. Somehow it was all connected. I didn't have time to piece together just how big the conspiracy was, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I had been set up. Someone wanted this siege to take place. But what was their goal? To arrest the Titans? To discredit us?

"Robin, you possess the head that is hard. I will speak with them!" Starfire took to the air and flew out of the common room so fast even the grapple I shot after her wasn't fast enough to catch her.

"No!" I hissed under my breath, leaping to follow her. "The rest of you stay here. This is a trap!"

"Well duh! They've kind of got us surrounded," I heard Beast Boy say behind me. I was running so fast that. I didn't have time to swerve before my shoulder struck. The opposite wall as I turned to go down the stairs to the garage. Starfire would beat me outside, but I couldn't let her turn herself in or whatever she thought she was going to do. My mind was going faster than my feet. From the beginning this had been focused at Starfire. But Star didn't have enemies on Earth. Whoever was behind this had planted Cat Grant in the penthouse suite as bait for me, which meant they had money and enough power to bribe one of the Daily Planet's more well-known journalists-even if she was just the gossip writer.

"Starfire, wait!" I shouted. I jumped the last five steps to the ground floor, but the natural light filling the usually dark garage told me I was too late. I ran to the open bay doors and looked out. She hovered about two foot off the ground, facing a trio of police officers that were edging toward her with their pistols drawn. She had her back to me so I couldn't see her face, but her hands were ignited and her posture seemed relaxed enough.

"Why have you come?" she asked, sounding every bit the queen that she was. The cop nearest her, a dark-skinned man with close-cropped black hair glanced uncertainly at his partners. I reached for a birdarang, prepared in case they made any move to fire their weapons.

"You need to come with us, Miss Starfire. You need to account for your whereabouts during the abductions that happened last year." He spoke calmly, as though he was trying to calm a wild animal even though Starfire seemed perfectly calm. She sighed deeply, and my gut clenched in silent denial. _No Star, you don't owe them your story. _But of course she couldn't hear my thoughts, and even if she could she wouldn't listen to me.

"What is there to say that cannot be said now? You wish to know what part I played? The Psions came to Earth in search of me. They were hired to track me down and transport me to the Citadel where I was to be tortured and degraded until I chose to take my own life or my life was taken from me." To her credit, her voice didn't shake, but I knew how hard it was for her to tell them. I had walked past her room at night during the days and weeks after we returned and heard her crying into her pillow. She had nightmares about it sometimes. Once, I'd even heard her screaming in her sleep. I hadn't been able to stand it and I went in to her room and woke her. She denied that that's what it was, but when I'd shaken her awake her eyes lit with her starbolts and I'd had to duck out of the way to avoid being blasted.

"Have you any way to corroborate this story?" the same cop asked. He lowered his gun slightly, though his finger remained on the trigger.

"You doubt my word?"

"Of course not, but without evidence it is a matter of he-said, she-said."

"And who is this 'he' who is doing the saying of things?" At last I saw a faint haze of green collect around her hands.

"If you will come with us to the station, all your questions will be answered."

"No, you'll answer our questions now," I said, striding out of the garage. The other two cops jumped and raised their guns to aim at me, but Starfire made a strange hissing noise that made both of them pale visibly and step away from her. "Who is feeding you information?"

"That's classified," said the cop, Officer Davis, according to his name tag. I held up my communicator.

"Do you see this? If I tap this button here, it sends a distress beacon straight to the Justice League. Do you really want to explain to Superman why you're attempting to take us into custody without even attempting to contact our guardians and-"

"You don't have guardians," snapped the middle officer named Styles. "You're just a bunch of punk kids. You think you're special, but really you're just a high-powered gang with resources. You cause this city more damage in a week than ten drug dealers on the street." My eyebrows shot up. _Oh really? Did he want to go there?_

"All right, the next time Slade tries to take over the city you guys handle it. Let me know how that works out."

"The only reason the meta humans even come to Jump is because of you,"Styles fired back. He was a young cop, probably fresh out of the academy. I knew there was a subsection of low enforcement that envied the superheroes for being able to take on the criminals they couldn't. Styles had the athletic build of a former high school and college jock. Beneath his hat, his hair was parted and styled to the side, and his badged was polished until it shone. He was sizing me up as well, and I could practically see him comparing us in his mind. He was taller by about four inches, his shoulders broader and more heavily packed with muscle he probably spent hours sculpting in the gym. For a moment he actually considered trying to take me, I saw it in his eyes. I smirked. I couldn't help it. _Try it. I dare you_, I taunted silently.

"There is no need to argue. If my presence on Earth is the problem then know that I intend to return to Tamaran, and I-"

"No!" Styles said sharply, before glancing at his partners. I moved closer to Starfire. So there was a bigger conspiracy in place. The other cops looked uncertain now. Davis glanced over his shoulder at the helicopter hovering overhead.

"I'm afraid our orders are to bring you in...all of you."

I hit the distress beacon in my communicator and drew my staff. Starfire, looking confused, moved behind me. With a triumphant look on his face, Styles pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"Robin, the Teen Titans are under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of oomph!" As he closed in on me I swung the staff in an arc that knocked the handcuffs out of his hand and as he bent to retrieve them. I catapaulted myself over his head to take down the other two.

"Robin!"

It was lucky Starfire was with me or else I never would have noticed the sniper hanging out of the helicopter and aiming his gun at me. My cape is moderately bulletproof, but it's not something I prefer to count on if I can help it. As the sniper rifle fired, I cartwheeled out of the way. Starfire shot into this sky to deal with the helicopter herself. My head whipped around when the gun fired again. A jet of green light fired back.

Suddenly strong hands grabbed me from behind. I grabbed the wrist to twist it in a defensive counter attack, but it didn't budge. The hand forced me face-down in the dirt with unyielding strength. Spitting out grass, I looked up just in time to see Wonder Woman tackle Starfire out of the air as the sniper fired at her again.

"Officers, care to tell me why you are attacking these children?" Superman asked mildly from where he stood over me. Styles looked as though he'd had a Psion probe shoved up his backside at the sight of Superman. His face was so funny I didn't even mind that Superman had called us children.

"They are resisting arrest, Sir," said Officer Davis a little breathlessly. While the Titans were pretty common around Jump, it wasn't often that the League came to town, and Superman and Wonder Woman were the two most impressive members. Batman was up there, but he didn't have the same people skills that the other two did.

"The Titans fall under Justice League sanction. Any disciplinary action taken against them is the responsibility of the League. What crime have they committed?" Wonder Woman asked imperiously. She touched down behind Styles, making him whirl around. She drew herself up to her full height-she had an inch or two on him-and fixed him with her steely blue stare.

"We have received reports that they were involved in a situation that occurred last summer..." The third officer finally spoke up, but his words shriveled on his tongue as Superman looked down his nose at him.

"The League has already given an official statement on what happened last summer. The Tit and are to be commended for leading the rescue efforts, not arrested."

"The law is the law, Superman," said Styles, puffing himself up. Clearly he puffed himself up by disagreeing with the Man of Steel. "These kids are resisting arrest. These two have just attacked these officers. It is our right to take them into custody."

Superman stared at him for a long moment, his expression undecipherable. It was almost as if he was reading the man's thoughts, which unfortunately was not one of his powers. I don't think Styles knew that though, and he quickly broke eye contact.

"Not today, gentlemen." And there was no arguing with Superman. Especially not when Wonder Woman was standing just behind his shoulder with a glare that promised an investigation into the police's conduct. There was a part of me that hated asking for help, even from our allies, but the bigger part was grateful I had such powerful friends to draw on in a time like this.

"Come, I will escort you to your boat," said Wonder Woman in a tone that allowed no resistance. The cops signaled to their friends in the helicopter, who nodded and turned the aircraft back toward the shore.

"Thanks, Superman, we-" but Superman held up a hand to stop me. He tilted his head toward the departing cops, signaling that whatever I had to say had to wait until they were gone.

"Princess," he said unexpectedly. Starfire floated closer to us, looking suddenly apprehensive. "I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. The League is very troubled by how many of the other victims are beginning to call what they witnessed on the ship. I'm afraid this will get worse before it gets better."

"It is the alright. I have received word from my planet that a suitor has been chosen for me. I will return as soon as I am healed enough to make the journey." She deliberately didn't look at me as she said it, but her cheeks reddened noticeably as I stared at her in horror. Superman glanced at me, seeing the shock on my face before I quickly concealed it behind a mask of indifference.

"I see no need for any rush..." He said diplomatically.

"I do. Staying will only bring more trouble to the ones I lo-care about most." It didn't skip my attention that she stumbled over the word love. I decided not to read anything into it. It didn't matter anyway.

"Robin, if Starfire does intend to return, I think it best that she have an escort. As I'm sure you're aware, something is not quite right here. Someone is working against your team, and until their plan comes to light I think it wise that you stick together." Clark knew what he was asking of me. There was enough apology in his eyes to tell me that.

"Wha, cool! Superman!" Beast Boy burst into the yard with his arms waving in greeting. Superman's serious expression slipped into one of mild amusement.

"What's going on?" Raven asked, obviously annoyed. She folded her arms across her chest waiting for an answer. Her hood was up, casting her face in shadows. The. Titans and I looked at Superman, waiting for an explanation. Wonder Woman returned. She cocked her hip and rested her hand just above the lasso on her belt. Over the years I've gotten used to her suit, the full cleavage, the high-cut spangled briefs, and the calf-hugging red boots, but she was blessed with all the beauty of Aphrodite and even next to Starfire she was a little distracting.

"The Titans have an enemy on Earth. Somehow, someone is reawakening the witnesses memories of what happened last summer when they were all abducted. Whoever is doing this is using it to turn public opinion against the Titans. We haven't managed to discover whom how, or why they are doing this, but as you can see from today's little demonstration things are escalating quickly."

"Princess Starfire has just informed me of her plan to return to Tamaran for her upcoming wedding. I think it would be best if your team went with her. It would allow the league time to investigate this matter further without raising the suspicions of whoever is behind this.". I bit back an argument. No one should be investigating threats to my team but me. Still, I understood his reasoning. And...I'm not going to lie that I wasn't going to pass up the chance to see the guy that had been chosen for Star. As much as it hurt, I needed to know who I was losing her to. I don't know what I was hoping for.

"So...we're going into space again?" Beast Boy asked, spinning to look at everyone. Wonder Woman and Superman exchanged a look.

"We think it would be best."

"Sweet! Dudes, I've got to go pack!" He skidded to a halt and his ears drooped suddenly. "Um, there won't be any of those mean, ugly, aliens this time, will there?"

"No. We are going to Tamaran. I have made it absolutely clear that under no circumstances are the Psions or Gordanians allowed within ten kerglorks of our planet. Oh friends, I will be most excited to show you my world as you have shown me yours!" Starfire clapped her hands together and practically squee-ed with delight. When she opened her eyes again she looked shyly at me.

"You will be treated as guests of the highest honor."

I should have said thank you or told her it wasn't necessary, but I didn't. I didn't know what to say about any of this. Suddenly, Cyborg reached out and punched my shoulder, giving me a knowing look.

"Guess we should get packed, eh?"

"Robin, before you go, there is something else I wanted to say to you...in private," said Superman in a low voice full of hidden meaning. Dread filled my stomach with lead.

* * *

**A/N: an extra long chapter since I haven't updated in a couple of days. Sorry about that. **


	10. Chapter 10

I had a feeling I knew what Clark was going to say. In times like this he could usually be counted on to give the exact opposite advice than what Bruce would tell me to do. Clark took a deep breath. _Yep, just what I thought._

"I know what I'm asking of you won't be easy. If it were Lois, I..."

"If it were Lois she'd still be so hung up on Superman you'd never have to wonder how she felt." Somehow admitting that Star meant more to me than just my teammate wasn't so bad when I was talking to him. Maybe it's because I've heard the cringe-worthy stories of the desperate lengths he's gone to protect Lois, keep her away from his secret, and try and find a way to be with her. Next to him, my problems seemed pretty straightforward. He inclined his head in minor agreement.

"Watch your back out there. Just because this trouble found you on Earth doesn't mean that it can't follow you to Tamaran."

"I know how to look after my team. I'm not _him_." If it were Bruce in my shoes he'd have sent Star packing for bringing scandal down on the Titan's reputation. He would completely over look the double-standard he lives by filling the tabloid covers with his playboy personas. Once, he and Catwoman were even caught on a museum security feed making out over a display case, and that made the rounds in the gossip rags for several weeks. Still, Batman has a set of rules for himself and a set of rules he expects the rest of us to follow. Call him on it and he'll get all condescending and come up with some lame excuse for why he's allowed to get away with things the rest of us can't. Lately, he's given up explaining himself and just starts answering with, 'Because I'm Batman.' Try arguing with that and see how far you get. And people wonder why I moved out of the mansion...

Clark regarded me seriously.

"He looked after you, Robin. He still looks after you. Who do you think sent us to help you just now?" I flinched.

"I activated the distress beacon in my communicator," I said stubbornly. I didn't like the idea of Bruce coming to my rescue without me realizing it. I didn't want him hovering over me waiting to save me from my own mistakes. Superman smiled sadly.

"We were already entering the stratosphere when you called for help. I may be able to go supersonic, but Diana can't. She never would have made it here from the Watchtower in less than three minutes." He tilted his head, studying me. "He knew you wouldn't accept his help. That's why he sent us."

"Batman doesn't come out in broad daylight," I said mulishly. That wasn't strictly true. In Gotham he preferred to work under the cover of night, but when he traveled to other cities to aid the citizens and heroes there he wasn't as strict about the hours that he kept. Criminals outside of Gotham were usually so terrified to find themselves going up against the Bat that he didn't need the dark to strike fear into their hearts.

"Robin, you know he cares about you. He just has a hard time showing it."

"You know he hates her because she's an alien, don't you?" I threw back at him. Let him see his best friend for what he really was. "She doesn't have a weakness that he can exploit so he doesn't trust her. No kryptonite rings for Star! There's no failsafe in place if she goes rogue and he can't handle it. He's been trying to convince me to get rid of her ever since she landed on Earth."

"No, he's been trying to get rid of her ever since he saw you practically threaten the Mayor of Jump City after his wife said something about her table manners. I heard all about it...repeatedly." It shouldn't have surprised me that Bruce talked about me with Clark, but for some reason it did. I could just imagine him scowling at the keyboard of the Bat computer while Clark smiled patiently down from the wall-sized monitor.

"You think an alien threat could be behind this?" I asked, changing the subject as Raven entered the garage carrying a slim black suitcase. Wonder Woman appeared behind her and together they started loading up the T-ship that was parked in the hangar portion of our massive garage.

"I wouldn't rule it out," Superman said softly. "Tamaran has been very vocal about wanting their princess back. Their planet has been torn by civil war without a true And'r heir to sit on the throne. If someone wanted to seize power, incarcerating the princess on Earth or discrediting her with the accusations that have begun circulating would be a good start to making her ineligible to take the throne." I wipe my hand over my face. I hated politics. Politicians were backstabbers no matter what world they came from.

"Thanks for your help, Superman, but I think my team and I will have to take it from here." Really, the thought that this whole marriage might be an elaborate plot to trap Starfire was giving me too much hope that it could be prevented. Hope was the last thing I should be feeling. I rushed off to my room to grab a few spare uniforms and extra birdarangs.

Starfire arrived last to the ship. She had all of her belongings packed away in a deceptively small orange satchel that looked no bigger than a grocery bag. She, Wonder Woman, and Superman were the only ones who could lift it though. The straps left dents in Cyborg's fingers when he attempted to shift it out of the way while we topped off our fuel.

"It is an impressive ship," said Wonder Woman. "Flash explained that you designed it yourselves."

"It was really all my idea," Beast Boy said smoothly, puffing out his chest in a vain attempt to impress her. Diana didn't look as though she though him capable of operating a pair of sneakers, much less a spaceship. Raven rolled her eyes and sent a black tentacle of power snaking around his torso to pull him away before he made a bigger fool of himself.

"We wish you a safe journey, Titans. May Hera smile upon you." She rapped her knuckles lightly against the hull of the ship before she moved back to stand next to Superman. The Titans and I boarded the T-ship and fastened ourselves into our individual pods. Cyborg had spent a lot of free time improving the technology in the T-ship, and I felt much better about this launch than I had before our last.

"I can't believe you told Wonder Woman that you designed _my_ ship," came Cyborg's voice over the headsets.

"Dude, did you see? She was totally digging me."

"Right," Raven drawled sarcastically. "The personification of female empowerment is totally into the guy who thought the feminist movement was about changing the cup shape of bras so they weren't 'pointy' anymore."

"What? I thought they burned them because they thought they were ugly and uncomfortable. Guys back me up, things have gotten a lot better since they started making round bras instead of cones, am I right?"

"Beast Boy, you're going to want to stop talking now," I said in clipped tones as I initiated the launch sequence from my console. Cyborg would navigate, but I was in charge of takeoff and landing.

"Come on, Cy, back me up on this one," Beast Boy whined over the radio. I gritted my teeth.

"Nuh-huh. That's a minefield I won't cross for you, buddy."

"Oh, come on!"

"It's a long ride Beast Boy. It's going to be even longer for you if I let Raven send you to a dimension of her choosing." I maneuvered the ship out of the hangar and into the sunlight. He wasn't giving up easily though.

"Starfire, don't you think bras are much nicer now than in those old movies you like to watch?" Even with most of my concentration on steering I did a double-take that he'd actually addressed one of the girls with his nonsense. I distinctly heard Raven growling in my earpiece.

"I am confused. Are the bras meant to serve a purpose? The boy who works at the lingerie store told me that they were merely for decoration. They are designed to coordinate with the thongs. Is that not correct?" I closed my eyes, summoning patience while refusing to acknowledge the tempting images that fluttered at the fringes of my imagination.

"I don't think that guy worked at the store, Star."

"But he did," she insisted loudly, making me wince. "He even offered to accompany me into the room of dressing to make sure I selected a matching pair."

There was stunned radio silence following that announcement. I didn't dare look toward Cyborg's pod. I wasn't sure whether he'd be more amused at my over-protective jealousy, or outraged that some scumbag had taken advantage of her. I guess that's not the best way to put it. Tamaranians are a very free race. Starfire would happily flit around the tower naked if I let her. She wouldn't have thought twice about stripping down in front of some stranger. The thought made my blood boil.

"Starfire, I thought we talked about this," said Raven slowly. There was an edge of danger to her voice which meant she was wishing the sleaze-ball into the lowest pit in hell too.

"I declined his offer," Starfire said, sounding surprised by our reaction. "He only suggested the thongs, he did not even mention the g-strings. If minimal coverage is the desired goal then he is a very poor man of sales." _Oh God_. Starfire prefers g-strings and she likes to match them with her bras. Why did she have to tell me that when I was sitting in a spaceship in plain view of my teammates? Our pods weren't exactly designed for privacy, and thanks to that little revelation I was having a difficult time keeping my er...head down. Only in stealth mode did a black-tinted casing shield us from view, and it would be entirely too conspicuous if I suddenly raised my shield before we even took off. _Thanks Star. Way to make this trip even more painful than it already was._ It took a moment of picturing Bruce Wayne in a thong with the Bat emblem stitched across the front before I had sufficiently grossed myself out enough that the blood returned to my brain.

"All in favor of radio silence for the remainder of this flight, say aye." Frantically I started mashing the buttons that would get us into the air. The ship began to hum with power.

"AYE!" Cyborg, Raven, and I all cried in desperate unison. Beast Boy and Starfire sputtered.

"Overruled," Cyborg cried gleefully as we shot into the sky. The last thing we heard before he muted our mic feeds was Beast Boy asking if he could go to the bathroom. _Yep...a long flight._


	11. Chapter 11

_Robin...?_ At first I thought Raven's voice was coming over my headset until I realized that she was speaking directly into my mind. I sat very still. Raven knows how much I hate it when she does that. I don't like people playing around with my mind. _You're emotions are so loud I can't sleep. I figured you didn't want me to mention your anxiety over the radio, especially now that we finally got _him_ to sleep. _

Wryly, I glanced over at Beast Boy's pod where he had curled up as a small kitten on his dashboard. I think we were all grateful that he'd stopped asking if we were there yet. _ Do you want to talk about it?_

_You know I don't. That's why you're in my head right now._

_No. I'm in your head because I don't want to worry Starfire any more than she already is. _Almost automatically I raised my head to look at her curled up in her pod. She'd been so still and quiet that I thought she'd gone to sleep too. But now that I looked more closely she had slipped her metal arm band from her bicep and was playing with it. She had her knees drawn up to her chin with her back facing me. I wondered what she was thinking.

_Why is she worried?_

_For the same reasons you are. She's afraid her time on Earth has changed her and that her people will think she's weak._

_She's not weak! _I smacked my hand down on my dashboard, drawing a strange look from Cyborg. I threw him an apologetic smile and a half-wave.

Even Raven's silences could be sarcastic._ You need to calm down. You knew this was coming. There's no need to be so defensive about it. _If that was her idea to calm me down it was terrible. I swiveled in my seat but she had her pod enclosed in its privacy shield to block out the starlight so she could sleep. Knowing that she was really awake in there I glared.

_Oh really? What about you? You've been even more sarcastic than usual lately. And what's with you manhandling Beast Boy with your powers all the time? You're worse than me and Star._

_I do not manhandle him, _she said pissily. It effectively got her out of my head though. Contrary to popular belief, I notice things. It's what makes me such a good detective. I may not acknowledge half of what I see going on right in front of my eyes, but that doesn't mean I don't see it. Raven definitely had a thing for Beast Boy. She reacted more strongly whenever he teased her than if Cyborg or I said anything to her. When Terra had joined the team she'd withdrawn a little. And after Terra sacrificed herself and turned into a block of stone Raven had gone out of her way to keep an eye on him. Now that I think about it, that must have been hard, sharing his feelings for some other girl... Maybe I shouldn't have teased her about it._  
_

_You think? _She snuck back into my head just so she could get the last word in. When she left that time, I knew the conversation was really over.

"Hey guys, we're entering Tamaran's solar system," Cyborg announced softly. Starfire gave a small squeal and plastered her face to her window.

"Oh friends, I am so excited for you to see my home world. You will be treated to a gorkapipe greeting. It is reserved only for royalty and guests of high honor. Later we will drink _jaarkna_ and feast on the hide of the _kerfludel_. It is a rare delicacy. Are you not excited?

"Uh, will there be a veggi menu available?" Beast Boy squeaked. For the first time I considered Starfire's strange food preferences on Earth. If that was a sign of the food we could expect here then we were in serious trouble.

"Of course, Beast Boy. You will have to try the Zebdorf salad. The leaves of the Zebdorf plant ooze a yellow pus that tastes quite sweet. You will like it even more than the green jello of which you are so fond." Beast Boy's gulp could be heard across each of our speakers. Looked like I'd be fasting for the foreseeable future.

"Ooh! There it is! Is she not beautiful? Tamaran." There was genuine joy in her voice and I felt a pang of guilt that we had kept her with us when this was where she truly belonged. It hadn't occurred to me just how homesick she must have been.

Two Tamaranian guards flew out to meet our ship. They both had long red hair though theirs was more orange than Starfire's ruby red. When they spotted her they both gawked in disbelief before the one on the left kicked his partner and the both went down on one knee in midair to give her a deep bow of respect. They were greeting their queen after all. A lead weight settled at the base of my throat. So it started...

The soldiers guided us to a safe landing pad. The Titans and I exchanged nervous glances.

"Will we be able to breathe on your world, Star?" I asked, thinking about it only when my hand was inches from raising the top of my pod so I could climb out.

"Yes. Our atmosphere is compatible with your biology. You may even find it more rejuvenating than Earth's atmosphere."

"You mean it will give us superpowers? Sweet!" Beast Boy cheered.

"No. Only that you will have more stamina here than on Earth."

"Besides, you already have superpowers," said Raven impatiently.

I was out of the ship first. I had the least amount of luggage to deal with and I went around to Starfire's pod to ask if there was any last minute details we should know about. She had her back to me, reaching for her orange satchel. I touched her elbow to get her attention.

"Star, is there-"

Before the question was even out of my mouth there were two spears lifting my chin to the sky.

"Unhand the Princess!" bellowed the guard who had greeted us. Instantly I lifted my hand from her arm. Starfire whirled, hands glowing and eyes ablaze.

"You will not threaten my fr-guest!" She would have sounded much scarier if she hadn't stumbled over the last word. I frowned. By now Cyborg had moved to stand behind me.

"Princess, you know it is forbidden for off-worlders to touch you. This human has dared-"

Starfire fired off a stream of Tamaranean that left both guards hanging their heads. Before my eyes she changed from the sweet girl I had known to the ferocious warrior I'd first met. It was so hot.

"KORIAND'R!"

The Titans and I jumped as an enormous Tamaranean blasted toward us down the gangplank. He looked like a red-haired Viking with his horned helmet and full red beard that reached his waist. A jagged scar ran down the side of his face over his empty right eye socket. His appearance had the effect of gasoline on Starfire's already fired up temper.

She rocketed toward him and they began roaring and gesturing aggressively. My hand reached automatically toward my belt for a weapon, though I knew my gadgets weren't very effective against Tamaraneans. This Goliath looked like he knew his way around a fight. Tamaraneans don't scar, not unless they're you know, missing an eye or something. I was about to order the rest of the team back on the ship for our own safety when Starfire's giggles filled the air. The Viking was tickling her!

"Um...should we help her?" Beast Boy whispered, uncertain. I didn't have an answer. Luckily, they broke apart on their own and Starfire gave the big man a hug. Starfire hugs can be painful if she forgets her strength, but it was the giant whose squeeze made me wince. If even Starfire looked squished then I wanted none of that. "So is that like her dad or something?"

"She's the only one of the And'r line left," Raven reminded him.

"Friends, this is Galfore! He is my _knorfka_!"

"Oh!" Beast Boy exclaimed with relief before he leaned over and elbowed Cyborg and whispered, "I have no idea what that means." Cy shrugged.

"I am honored to meet the brave warriors with whom my little _bumgorf_ has trained. Please, let me escort you to your chambers. Princess, your bridegroom has arrived and awaits you in your bedchamber."

_What?!_ We were all walking in single-file behind Galfore when I had a total body shutdown. Cyborg plowed into me, nearly crushing my foot.

"What's a matter, Robin?" he asked in a knowing, sing-song voice. "Hear something you don't like?" I ignored him, looking at Starfire who's face had gone stiff and unreadable.

"I will be with him shortly. I wish to see that my guests are settled first. Inform him that I look forward to our meeting." She didn't sound like it. In fact she couldn't even fake a smile at the idea. Galfore looked from her face to mine.

"There are other offers if Prince Glerk is not to your liking, Princess."

"I want only what is best for Tamaran," she said in a hollow voice.

"Starfire..." I started to say, but she ignored me and started walking again. _Walking_! How long had her feet been on the ground? It's not as though she never used her feet, but it usually happened when she was conflicted about something. Her flight came from her happiness and I couldn't remember a time when she had been happy that she had been able to stay grounded. Beside her, even Galfore hovered an inch off the floor. Poor Star. I needed to speak with her.

She didn't give me an opportunity. No sooner had Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg and I been shown to a huge room draped in brightly colored cloths that reminded me of an Arabian tent than Starfire disappeared to go meet her future husband.

"Wait!" I tried to open the door she closed behind her, but it was floor-to ceiling and my puny muscles weren't going to budge it. Angry, I punched it.

"You think he brought her flowers?" Cyborg called from across the circular room. "Robin, man, you are _so_ obvious. Are you going to be able to survive this trip? I thought you were going to have heart failure when Galfore said her fiancée was in her room."

"I _need_ to talk to her," I said, distracted as I scanned the room for alternative ways out. There was a balcony visible through a pair of crisscrossing sheer lavender drapes. I tore them aside and craned my neck to judge how possible it would be for my grappling gun to get me to the next ledge above mine.

"Raven, where is she? Can you sense her?" Seeing as how I had no idea how this castle was laid out, bringing Raven with me sounded like the smartest plan.

"And you're what, going to burst in on them to keep them from making out?" Cyborg mocked. "Even if you figure out which room is hers you're only going to make a fool out of yourself."

I snapped.

"This isn't funny! She's about to marry some guy she's never even seen before for a planet that sold her into slavery to save their own skins. She shouldn't have to do this. It's not right!"

"I know it's not, but this is her culture. You having a problem with it is not going to change it."

"She shouldn't have to get married. She's already their queen."

"She only becomes queen once she marries," said Raven in a tone that said exactly what she thought of that notion. "Besides, this is a warrior race. Starfire is the only member of the royal family left. They need her to give them more heirs."

"Plus, you never even met the guy. He could be cool," Cyborg said with a hopeful shrug. How could he be so blasé about this? Did he not care about Starfire at all?

"Hey, of course I care," he said sternly, reading my expression. "I'm not head over heels in love with her like you are, but she's still like a sister to me. I'm giving her people the benefit of the doubt. You think they would choose some monster for her to marry if it means he'll be their new King?"

It made sense. As much as I hated it, I saw his point, but he didn't see mine. The guy wasn't me, and that was all I needed to know he wasn't right for Star.


	12. Chapter 12

I didn't see Starfire again until dinner. The Titans convinced me that I would only look like a crazy person if I went after her so instead I stayed in our room and sulked. Cyborg had no pity for me and hummed every wedding-related tune he knew. If our escort hadn't come to lead us to dinner I'd have sent an electrified birdarang at him that would have short-circuited his systems.

"Welcome to Tamaran, I am Prince Karras," said our escort, bowing until his waist-length orange hair nearly dusted the toes of his boot. "It is an honor to meet you, Titans."

My heart sank. He was movie star handsome with a long straight nose and light green eyes. He was well over six and a half feet tall. If he was the prince they'd lined up for Star then I might as well get back on the T-ship and go home. Cyborg shot me a glance laced with sympathy that had my fingers itching for that birdarang again.

"Are you the guy that Starfire's come back to marry?" Beast Boy blurted out. I gaped at him. _Really? Absolutely no filter whatsoever, huh? _I resisted the urge to cover my face with my hands. Karras smiled.

"I was betrothed to the Princess when we were infants, however, our contract was broken when she was sent to the Citadel in exchange for the safety of our people. Had I known she would return to us I would have waited, but I have since married." Oh, so this wasn't her future husband. Whew! Still, I couldn't help but dislike the guy on principle. If they'd been betrothed as infants how much time had they spent together? Had they...dated? Or whatever the Tamaranean equivalent was? No, Starfire had said that I was the first friend she'd ever had, that had to include boyfriends too. Right?

Karras led us through the long corridors to the banquet hall. I think he was amused that we had to rush to keep up with him while he flew. Arrogant jerk.

"If you were betrothed to Starfire before, why didn't they find another Prince from Tamaran for her to marry? She said this guy came from far away." I pushed myself to keep pace with him side by side. I felt the burn in my calves but ignored it. If speed-walking was a strain then they were in need of exercise anyway. He arched a brow at me like I was a child who asked why birds have wings.

"Are there so many princes on Earth that you can simply replace one with another? Tamaran is not so fortunate. We sought to strengthen our alliances through a strategic marriage. Prince Glerk comes from the planet Glezz. Their people are weapons manufacturers who have long supplied the Gordanians with weapons. Through this marriage Tamaran will fall under that protection from the Gordanians and we will have free access to those weapons ourselves." I stopped in my tracks.

From just up ahead I heard a familiar battle cry. Green light flared brightly followed by shouts and shrieks and growls.

"Titans!"

We ran the last few feet and rounded the corner to see the long trestle table sawed in half, food splattered everywhere and Starfire hovering in midair so full of righteous anger that the ends of her hair were flickering like flames. She was dressed in a Tamaranean version of a dress which bared her back completely to the base of her spine, had a sheer skirt with several slits to her waist, and of course a neckline that plunged straight to that jewel-encrusted belt she always wore. I was too focused on assessing the threat in the room to gawk at her, but my chest seized at the sight of her nonetheless.

She faced a line of strange alien creatures. They were all a deep, midnight blue with yellow bisected eyes that had two on each side of their heads. When they blinked, one set of lids closed up as the other set closed down to meet at a black seam that divided the two eyes. It was kinda creeped me out. Their noses were beaks tipped with black. When they spoke they croaked like vultures. Starfire roared in Tamaranean, pointing her fingers while sparks flew off her fingers. She wasn't attacking yet, but she looked only seconds away.

"Starfire, what's happening?" I called, forgetting for the moment that she was a ruler here and she didn't owe me any answer. She tossed me a sharp look to remind me, but some of her fire died away as she lowered herself toward the ground and turned her back on the blue people.

"These clorbags trade with the Citadel! They admire those ruthstarts! I will never align Tamaran with anyone who believes peace is possible with those..." I missed the next part because she slipped into Tamaranean again. She barked out an order and the blue people were quickly forced from the room. She rounded on Karras when they were gone.

"You did this! How could you choose him when you knew what I had endured?" She spoke English as a courtesy to us. Karras, feeling no such compulsion did not, but I got the gist from his tone. He thought it would benefit Tamaran and buy peace. I didn't care. I was reeling from the fact that her ex got to decide who her future husband would be. That was a recipe for disaster if ever I heard one.

"You had to know I would never accept him."

"He followed my orders, Highness," Galfore said from the corner of the room where surprisingly I hadn't picked him out immediately. "Perhaps this is a conversation best held in private." He bowed low and apologetically as Starfire ordered everyone from the room. The Titans and I didn't even consider leaving. Galfore only lifted his head when everyone was gone.

"I wished you to continue the happiness you found on Earth. Karras and I have worked hard to find unsuitable matches while not raising suspicion. Already there are many who suspect him of coveting your throne. Not to mention the..." He too slipped into Tamaranean. Starfire's face went white.

"But how, after all this, could they prefer her?"

"She was able to take control of the Citadel single-handedly. She showed strength, resilience, and cunning to survive among our mortal enemies." I didn't need a translation for that part. There were those on Tamaran who blamed Starfire for killing Blackfire, who the believed would have made a stronger ruler.

"Time out!" Cyborg called into the echoing hall. Karras and Galfore turned, startled to find us still there and apparently even more surprised to see that Starfire didn't immediately send us away. "So you've been picking guys to marry her that you know she won't like thinking that she'll turn them down after traveling all the way from Earth to meet them? What the heck kind of plan is that? When has Starfire ever been selfish enough to put her needs in front of her peoples'? The only reason she turned Gurgle back there down is because he literally helped out the guys who...well, you know." He shot Star an apologetic look.

"Do not presume to understand our ways," Karras sniffed.

"What if she went through with it?" Raven asked softly. "What if she said yes to that slime all because she thought that's what you wanted? Would you have stopped her?"

"Tamaran would have benefited from her sacrifice." Karras had the nerve to shrug.

I was on him before the others even realized I moved.

I didn't think for a minute I could do much damage to him, but I whipped out my bostaff and slammed it into his solar plexus. When he doubled over my knee smashed into his perfectly straight nose. Blood spurted.

It was all the damage I could do before strong hands grabbed me from behind and yanked me away. I knew that touch. Starfire spun me around in midair.

"You will not touch him!"

I blinked. I don't think she's ever yelled at me like that before. Sure, I've seen her get defensive _over_ me, but not _at_ me. It was like getting a Tamaranean kick in the stomach. I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say or do. She wasn't my teammate now, she was queen of the planet and I had just attacked another monarch. It was the equivalent of her coming to Earth and slapping the President of the United States.

Starfire had immediately come under fire when she'd first landed and the Titans formed. We'd been invited to a banquet with the Mayor of Jump City and his then-wife, who'd been openly hostile to Starfire and Star hadn't flown off the handle like I had. I'd always considered myself rational and in-control but I was everything Bruce said I was: impulsive, stubborn, and reckless. Star brought the best out of me, she really did, but if she brought this side of me out too then maybe Bruce was right and I did need to let her go.

_Speaking of Bruce..._

My belt began to vibrate from an incoming call on my communicator. After the Titans' last adventure in space, Batman had gone to every alien in the League to find a way to make sure our communicators would work no matter where in the universe we were. It wasn't for our benefit, but for his.

Starfire and I both glanced down at the same moment, but she quickly blushed and looked away as she lowered me to the ground.

"Robin," I answered.

"Tell Starfire not to do anything rash. The League has a proposal for her." Click. That was Batman, short, sweet and to the point without actually giving any real information away. He likes to make us sit around waiting for him, you know, rather than actually be doing something productive.

"Batman says the League has a proposal for you," I muttered. She looked as confused as I felt.

"Robin, you and I must speak." Automatically she reached for my hand to pull me along behind her. Galfore and Karras gasped. Starfire released me as though I'd burnt her.

"I am still accustomed to Earth's ways," she explained to them, blushing furiously. Me, I wanted to tell them to mind their own business and that she was the queen and she could hold whoever's hand she wanted, but I'd stuck my foot far enough in my mouth for one day.

Star led me to a chamber across the hall equally huge, but much cleaner without the broken table and food spilled everywhere.

"Robin, on my planet you could be put to death for what you just did."

"I know, well I didn't know that, but I know it was stupid. I just...they shouldn't keep asking so much from you."

"I am their queen. Who else should they ask?"


	13. Chapter 13

Starfire and I stood in awkward silence for a while. I think she was having as much trouble getting used to our dynamic here as I was. Both of us wanted to go back to the way things were, but unless Batman came and pulled a rabbit out of a hat...

"Star...there's something I should tell you." She looked up at me with such sad, watery eyes that the words clogged in my throat. I have the worst timing in the universe. I know I do. I should have told her months ago how I felt. I should have told Bruce to shove it, admitted what everyone already knew, and...

"It is more difficult than I anticipated," she said softly. She had no idea. In my head, admitting that I liked her was the easiest thing in the world, but the moment my mouth tried to form the words I started sweating and stammering. Stalling, I scratched the back of my neck.

"Starfire, if you decided that you wanted to come back with us, you know that would be all right, don't you? You could leave Karras in charge, since he's already a Prince and married anyway, and we-you know, the Titans-could be together." Yes, I chickened out on that one. Her shoulders sagged, drawing my attention back to her dress. She looked so lost. "You belong with us, Star. We're a family. You've given your people more than they have any right to expect. You don't owe them anything else."

"If you were in my position, would you turn your back on your people? On the people of Earth?"

"If I had to choose between the people of Earth and the people I care about most, then I-".

My belt started vibrating again. _Geeze Bruce!_

"Yes?"

"We're coming in to land. Tell Starfire to meet us as soon as possible." Bruce sounded grumpy. That wasn't promising. Had they figured out who was behind the story leaks on Earth? Starfire touched my arm.

"Robin, I want to return with you, you know that I do, but it would be selfish."

"This is your _life_, Starfire. You're allowed to be selfish sometimes."

"No Robin, I am not." She flew at me and wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight hug. I held her, not wanting to let her slip through my fingers. Her lips were against my neck and I felt her breath on my skin. My fingers tangled in her soft hair as it spilled over my hands.

"We are Titans, Robin. We do what must be done for the greater good." She pecked me on the cheek and I... I let her walk away. She turned and started walking toward the door. Her hips swayed so that the sheer panels of her skirt floated back and forth around her legs. Her smell was all around me, the exotic fruit scent that brought images of sunsets and rooftops to my mind.

Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman met us at the docks. I was surprised to see all three of them. Diana had even worn her formal attire, a white Grecian-style gown with a one-shouldered purple cape. She placed a fist over her heart in a salute when Starfire walked out to greet them.

"Your Highness, we have come with a marriage proposal from Earth."

"You what?!" I spluttered. The lines around Batman's mouth deepened with disapproval and he blatantly ignored me. The other two did the same, though they looked more amused than Batman. Starfire's mouth opened and closed in stunned surprise, but she recovered quickly.

"You are fortunate that I have recently broken my previous betrothal."

"Princess, we have tried every avenue of diplomacy available to us to keep you on Earth," said Superman seriously. "But your people are insistent that you are of age to marry and to begin producing heirs."

"I do not understand. Who am I to marry?"

"Robin," said Batman flatly.

My knees buckled. _What?!_ Behind me the Titans gasped.

"Perhaps we should step inside," said Wonder Woman smoothly. Starfire merely blinked at her. Superman chuckled and extended his arm. Starfire shook herself, smiled in polite denial, and turned to lead us back inside. The Titans, Batman, and I hung back for a moment. He scowled at me.

"This is what you wanted. Stop being so dramatic."

"You can't just decide to marry us off without even asking us," I hissed. He gave me one of his, 'remind me why I put up with you' glares.

"It is in name only. If you two choose to see other people when you return to Earth that's up to you. You know my feelings about that."

"Why would you support this now when you've been so dead set against them dating?" Raven asked suspiciously. I'm glad someone was thinking coherently enough to ask the right questions. Batman pulled his cloak around him and looked down his nose at her.

"This marriage is a formality. It means nothing. And I never said I supported it." With a flick of his cape he strode past us. Cyborg shifted to watch him go.

"Dude, does he ever lighten up?"

"No," I grumbled.

"Now that we are all here," said Diana when we entered the great hall once more. "I think we should begin. Starfire, I realize this may come as something of a shock. We are not forcing you to accept this decision, merely give you another option should you choose to accept it. During your time on Earth you have proved yourself a true and capable warrior. You have saved many lives and demonstrated the qualities that we all struggle to find within ourselves. On behalf of the Justice League we would be honored to keep you with us. I'm sure your team feels the same."

"Why are you only coming up with this idea now?" Raven asked, breaking through Wonder Woman's smooth, diplomatic speech. Diana arched a warning brow. Raven wasn't intimidated. "You claim to have been looking for a way to save Starfire for almost a year now."

"You are very young by Earth's standards, you both are. Besides, we understand what a burden this places on both of you. Marriage is a monumental step. If you accept Robin as your betrothed it will save many more lives, but I do not pretend that it won't create challenges for you to overcome. Batman has been...very vocal in his opinions of how damaging this could be for your team. Still, most of us believe you are capable of overcoming those obstacles." _Trust Bruce to try and throw a wrench into things. _

"What about me?" I heard myself say. "You're not even going to ask me if I'm okay with this before you marry me off?" The hopeful look on Star's face dimmed and I wanted to kick myself. What was I doing? This was what I'd wanted? Star and I could be together. She could come back to Earth and save her people. There were no downsides.

"We have selected Robin because he represents the best of humanity's potential. He has no superpowers and yet he is a leader among heroes. If you accept him, Tamaran will be placed under the protection of the Justice League and _all_ it's members." Diana added a special emphasis to the last part that was lost on me, but Starfire sucked in a sharp breath.

"But it is forbidden for Green Lantern Corps to police the Vega System."

"The human Lanterns are capable of coming to the aid of their own people, no mater what world they live on. Fortunately, there is more than one human Lantern at this time."

Starfire's eyes were shining with hope now.

"What does Green Lantern have to do with anything?" Beast Boy asked.

"The Lantern Corps formed a pact with the Psions that they would leave the Vega system alone. Because of this, the Psions are allowed to go unchecked. If that were to change..." Starfire didn't even dare put into words the impact the Green Lanterns could have if they were finally allowed to police the Psions. Diana was right, this was in everyone's best interests. But no one had asked me before they started rearranging my life. I hated it.

"I think Starfire and I need a moment alone," I said loudly. I was getting tired of being ignored. Batman grunted.

"It's simple. Either you are willing to go through with it or you're not. If not, then say your goodbyes and get back on your ship," snapped Batman impatiently.

"I'm sixteen years old and you're asking me to get married! I think we deserve the right to think about this first," I fired back. A black band of power snaked around the crook of my elbow.

"Don't say something you'll regret."

I rounded on her, but she wasn't watching me or Beuce, she was looking at Starfire, who despite her best attempts to appear unaffected, had curled in on herself.

"Of course you can have time to think it over," said Wonder Woman magnanimously. She ushered everyone from the room again. I went to stand next to a column, pressing my forehead against the cool stone.

"You do not wish to marry me," said Starfire flatly. I sighed. Of course she would think that.

"That's not it, Star. I just don't like them going behind my back and-"

"Arranging a marriage without your consent?" She finished the thought for me and I deflated immediately. No wonder she was so eager for this. This _was_ normal for her. I turned and caught her hands.

"I'm sorry. I promise it's not you. On Earth we've gotten away from the whole arranged marriage thing. We date first. We find someone we care about, spend time getting to know them, fall in love and then decide to get married. This...this just takes all the fun out of it. I...I want to be with you but I want to do things the right way. I want us to be together because we want to be, not because we have to."

"What if I were to tell you that I have already done the falling in love with you?" she whispered with her head down. I couldn't see her eyes and that meant she couldn't see my face. My whole world came to a complete stop. For a moment I knew what Kid Flash felt when he was moving at his top speed and the rest of the world went on like normal.

Starfire loved me. She was ready to marry me. She wanted this. Did I? Could I be happy with this down the line, knowing that the League had decided my fate for me, even though they'd given me the most amazing girl I could ask for?

"Star, I-"

"If you are worried whether I will change my mind I am incapable of it. Tamaranean love is eternal. My heart will only ever belong to you. I have known this since you did the rescuing of me from the Citadel. I knew I would gladly give myself over to them a hundred times over if it meant keeping you safe." She began twisting her fingers anxiously in front of her.

"Starfire-"

"I understand if you do not feel the same way. If friendship is all we can ever have then it is all that I require if it means we can stay together. I will not ask more than you are willing to-"

"Starfire!" I shouted to get her attention. She squeaked and looked meekly up at me. "Stop talking." I crossed to her side and pulled her against me. My lips found hers as easily as if they had made the journey a hundred times before. She inhaled sharply and I tilted her head just enough that I could really kiss her the way I'd wanted to for a year now. Her mouth was soft and warm, her body pressed against mine, and her beautiful red hair slid like silk against my hand as I brought it up to cup her head. I closed my eyes and finally surrendered.

"I'm not going to lie, this is a big step and it kinda scares the hell out of me, but I have wanted to be with you since the first time you kissed me." We rested our foreheads against each others', breathing a little uneasily. "Are you sure?" I whispered. "You could have anyone in the world. What about Speedy?" My stomach clenched at the thought.

Starfire threw back her head and laughed. Her hair splashed up and hit me in the face. Before I could recover, she was on me, grabbing me by my shirt and yanking me back against her as her lips sealed over mine in a hungry kiss. It wasn't soft and sweet like the first. My hands grabbed her waist and pulled it against mine, her legs rose from the floor to wind around mine. Without even thinking about it, my hands slid lower to cup her bottom and support her, and all the while she was kissing me and we were panting and gasping and my heart was on fire. It was...glorious!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I figured that since Starfire's marriage to Karras in the comics was in name only when she was still with Dick that they could use the same plan for right now. I hope it's believable why no one else thought of this up until this point. Of course Batman has to be a sour-puss about it, though.**

* * *

"Robin's getting married? For real? Is this a joke?" Beast Boy repeated for the hundredth time back in our room. Since our room was the only guest chamber available we had now gained Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman as roommates. No one was really happy about it, but we all pretended for Starfire's sake. Communal sleeping was normal on Tamaran. It made me realize just how much I liked my privacy. I was still reeling from my 'engagement' and I needed to be alone.

"For the last time, it is really happening. Now sit down and be quiet," growled Batman, who had claimed the corner with the deepest shadows for his own. It had previously belonged to Raven, but she and Wonder Woman had created a makeshift tent in the center of the room for themselves.

"You've got to admit this is crazy," said Cyborg, a little uneasy under the 'Bat glare.' "I mean, they haven't even kissed yet, have you?" I felt heat starting to rise up my neck and quickly looked away. Starfire and I had cut our make out session short when a knock from Wonder Woman broke us apart. If I thought about it too long though I could still feel the tingle on my lips.

"This changes nothing. This is a charade for her people's sake. It's in their best interests, and it buys her a little more time before they will expect her to produce an heir. When that time comes we will reveal that humans and Tamaraneans are incompatible. By that point Starfire can either choose to annul the marriage and return, or you can maintain the charade for as long as you choose." Batman sounded disgusted at the plan he had to lay out. The way he put it, it sounded like little more than a business merger. Nonetheless, a bolt of panic went through me. Children?

"What if they do conceive a child?" Raven asked darkly. I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands, wishing myself a million miles away. Batman blanched, and a weird sort of spasm crossed his face.

"They are heroes," he said simply. Translation: heroes had no business having babies.

"Can we stop talking about this now?" I asked. Superman chuckled and Wonder Woman smirked.

"The creation of a new life is a beautiful process, Robin. You should not fear it...when the time comes," she added after a sly look at Batman. He and I exchanged a glance that contained an entire argument:

_Don't even think about it._

_I'm not! They are!_

_If you get her pregnant I will castrate you._

_Bit late then, isn't it_?

Batman looked away first, muttering under his breath. His foot lashed out and kicked a small round pillow out onto the balcony. Grinning, Superman walked over and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"They grow up so fast don't they?" he said in a low voice I still managed to hear. Batman's shoulders stiffened.

"Bite me," he snapped. Superman laughed.

"So are you two going to start sharing a room?" Cyborg asked, wiggling his brows suggestively.

"No!" Batman and I said in unison. While the idea of it did strange things to my head and...other parts of me, I was with Bruce on this one. We weren't ready for that. In fact, I hoped once we got back to Earth things could go back to exactly the way they were-well with maybe a few changes. I could get used to kissing.

"I can't believe you talked me into this plan," Batman threw at Diana. She lifted her shoulders in a simple shrug. She like ruffling his feathers as much as my team liked ruffling mine.

"So while you were all making wedding plans without me, did anyone bother to look into how the victims were regaining their memories?" I said. I was done being the butt of their jokes.

Superman and Wonder Woman went instantly quiet. Batman kept his back to me, but he was still brooding so I had to take that with a grain of salt.

"We're still looking into it," said Superman uncomfortably. Clark was a terrible liar. I narrowed my eyes and got to my feet. Finally, the pressure was off me and my wedding and back onto something I could sink my teeth into.

"What?" I demanded. "What aren't you telling us?"

"The League is handling this, Robin. Try to exercise a little patience."

"If it concerns us, then we have a right to know," Raven said. I was impressed by how easily she stood up to them. Cyborg and Beast Boy were intimidated by the Justice League members whenever they showed up, but not Raven. She called them on their crap the same way she did us. It was refreshing.

"It is not for you to know," said Wonder Woman with authority. Raven went very still.

"We're all on the same team, right? Why can't we know?" Beast Boy asked meekly.

"Because you've already proven that you will do something reckless rather than stick to a well-thought out plan," Batman said sharply. "Besides, you can barely wrap your mind around the wedding, you think I would waste precious time explaining the real problem to you?"

"Hey!" I said loudly.

"Not cool," echoed Cyborg.

_"Do not talk to us like we are children_." Raven levitated off the ground and a faint breeze billowed the edges of her cloak. Batman wasn't intimidated, but I think he was impressed. Anyone who could project the kind of fear Raven was giving off was worthy of his begrudging respect.

"Fine," he said. "But it will be easier for everyone if you don't know what's going on. We need you to act natural." Well that was closer to the truth, whatever it was.

"Wow, Raven, you stood up for me," Beast Boy said, holding up his hand for a high-five. She stared at him nonplussed before she rolled her eyes and wearily slapped his hand. His grin doubled in size. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately Rae, but you're even cooler than usual." She lifted a brow.

"You think I'm cool?"

His ears drooped a little with embarrassment and I knew he hadn't meant to say that.

"Yea, in a creepy kind of way."

Cyborg turned to Superman with a pleading look on his face.

"Please take me with you back to the Watchtower. You can't leave me alone with two couples!"

"Guys, I'm going to go get some air," I said quietly as Raven flinched. Superman moved to open the door for me.

"Are you sure it's safe to be outside alone?"

"I'm not going far," I mumbled. Clark was like an uncle to me, a well-meaning over-protective uncle. He was anxious now that Starfire and I had announced our betrothal. She had assembled her people and Galfore had raised our hands together so everyone could see us. It was met with what Star later told me was mixed reviews. Not only were there a large number of people present who blamed Star for killing Blackfire, there were an equally large number who felt that she had married beneath her by choosing a 'weak, pathetic human who is not even of royal blood.' Those people kind of had a point.

My footsteps echoed off the stone floors. It was kind of eerie, Tamaraneans liked tall ceilings. I guess they came in handy for a race that could fly, but they just made me feel small. I scuffed my shoe on the floor. This whole situation was ridiculous. I had no more business being the next King of Tamaran than Bruce had of winning 'Father of the Year.' I pulled out my bo and began twirling it between my hands. The familiar action was soothing. Soon it was whistling through the air as I spun it over one shoulder and the the other, back and forth, faster and faster. It required all of my concentration to keep it spinning. A familiar burn crawled up my arms.

"Hi-yah!" I swung the staff in a finishing arc so that it slammed into the floor. The vibrations traveled all the way up through my shoulders. I was still absorbing the shock when I felt the familiar itch that warned me I was being watched.

"Don't try and sneak up on me, it doesn't work," I said coolly. There were two of them. Guards. They'd probably heard me practicing and come to investigate. I turned to face them.

"It's all right, I was just-"

I saw the fist coming, but everything went black the moment it hit my head.


	15. Chapter 15

My breath hitched as a sudden jolt jostled me. The pain in my head flared and I sank my teeth into the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out and giving myself away. My arms were bound behind my back. I was tied to a flimsy aluminum chair, my ankles shackled to the back legs. The pain in my head was making me nauseous, a sure sign of a concussion.

I concentrated on keeping my breathing slow and even. Panic rose in my chest. How long had I been out? Where was I now? The large square tiles beneath my feet looked strangely familiar. But Tamaran didn't have tiled floors. Everything there was stone.

"I know you are awake, human," growled a deep voice from across the room. I held perfectly still. "I can smell your fear." Like magic, those words send a red-hot wire through my spine and I straightened so fast that the room swam. My eyes rolled back into my head and I nearly passed out again. Meanwhile the other guy laughed a deep, dark laugh that would have given Slade nightmares. Gulping for air and squeezing my eyes shut to force the nausea into a smaller compartment of my mind I fought for control. I would not appear weak before an enemy. Not until I knew who I was dealing with.

He wore his blood-red hair cut in a crew cut, unheard of for Tamaraneans, which his orange skin told me he definitely was. But there was something wrong with him, or else he wasn't full Tamaranean because his skin was a faded yellowy peach instead of the bright mango shade the rest had. If it weren't for his glowing green eyes he could easily have passed for a human with a bad fake tan. His lip curled.

"To think, she would have you stand beside her ruling _my_ people."

He moved so fast I almost didn't see it coming, but either way there wasn't anything I could do to stop him. His foot took out the left front leg of my chair. I leaned back to keep from falling flat on my face the way he wanted me to. Our eyes locked for a second before he lifted his foot again and kicked my chair backwards. I groaned as my head hit the cold tile. He leaned over me and grabbed a fistful of my cape at the base of my neck so that I was forced to look at him.

"Pathetic," he spat.

"Is that why you're keeping me tied up?" I snapped back. I couldn't let him know how frightened I was. Tamaraneans are strong, and I mean Superman-level strong. He could kill me just by flicking me in the head. Obviously he didn't want me dead yet or else he wouldn't have bothered letting me wake up. I couldn't push him too far though. I was sensing Joker-level crazy.

"Call them!" he said, shoving my communicator under my nose. A red light was flashing. How many times had the Titans tried to call?

"What do you want?"

"I want her to watch you die the same way I had to watch _her_ die. She would rather side with humans than her own flesh and blood."

"Blackfire? You think she wanted to kill her sister?"

He cuffed me so hard I lost consciousness for a second. When I came to again, he had the front of my collar and was lifting me off the floor.

"KomAnd'r was _my_ sister. Kori has no right to the And'r name after she left us both to die on that Psion ship so she could save herself. It was Komand'r who came back for me. She found me on the brink of death and willed me back to life. Meanwhile Kori fled to Tamaran and turned our people against their true leader. When Komand'r returned it was to face accusations of treason. I was too weak to return to speak on her behalf. They branded her a traitor and exiled her, all because of Kori's lies."

"Who are you?" I grunted. I could easily piece together his identity from his story, but I was having a hard time believing that Starfire had a brother and she'd never mentioned him. Or had she and I'd forgotten? Everything was getting a little fuzzy on me, what with my concussion and the repeated blows to the head. Much more of this and I was going to wind up a vegetable. He sneered.

"Did she never mention me? While she gloated over her defeat of her sister did she not regale you with stories of my demise as well? I am RyAnd'r, Tamaran's true heir." RyAnd'r? The name didn't sound familiar. Nothing he said was making any sense. Was he delusional or had Blackfire twisted his mind against Star?

Suddenly, my communicator vibrated with an incoming call. RyAnd'r sneered and pressed the flashing button. The small black screen illuminated with Starfire's tear streaked face.

"Robin!" The relief at receiving an answer to what was probably her hundredth attempt to contact me instantly turned to despair at the sight of me. I'm sure I looked rough. It was just lucky RyAnd'r hadn't removed my mask. "Where are you? Who has done this to you?"

"I'm all right, Star. Don't come-"

RyAnd'r snarled and punched me in the ribs. A harsh grunt whooshed out of me. She cried out my name. He smiled at the pain in her voice.

"Such concern, KoriAnd'r. Do you truly have feelings for this creature? I could destroy him now, while you watch. I want to. It is only fair. You have taken my future away. Why should I not return the favor?" He kept the screen pointed at my face as he spoke. Starfire's face hardened the moment she heard him speak, but I don't think she recognized him. I tried mouthing his name, but she wasn't very good at reading lips.

"If you wish not to be destroyed you will return him immediately, whoever you are."

"Come and get him. I am in your fortress on the isle."

_We were in the Tower? _ I craned my neck and finally recognized that we were in one of the empty rooms on the lower floors. They were supposed to be guest rooms in case the League or anyone else ever needed a place to stay. But there was no furniture in them because we had never had any guests and never saw a need to buy any. No wonder I hadn't recognized it. But how did we get here so fast? I couldn't have been unconscious that long, could I?

"I warn you, if you harm him you will have the Titans, the Justice League and the Luthka warriors of Tamaran to answer to."

"I await your arrival, _sister_." He ended the call before she could respond, but I saw the color leave her face as she finally figured out who she was dealing with.

"She's right, you know. You'll never get away with this."

"I have no intention of getting away with anything. I merely want to see KoriAnd'r destroyed. Death will be sweet knowing she wallows in misery."

"You were the one who leaked the story to the press, weren't you?" He didn't have to answer, it was written all over his face. Somehow he'd tracked down the victims and restored their memories. Maybe he talked to them and that triggered the memories Martian Manhunter had buried. I didn't know how mind-wipes worked. Maybe he'd leaked the story to the press himself. He had the same physical presence of his sisters. Cat Grant would have been only too eager to talk to him. Maybe he tipped her off about the little boy she'd used as her source. Maybe... There were too many maybes and none of them mattered.

"If you want a fight then untie me," I challenged. I had no doubt Starfire and the team would come to rescue me, but I didn't want them playing into his hands. He would kill me the moment they set foot on Earth, right in front of their eyes. They would blame themselves. I couldn't let that happen. Better if I provoke him first. _Did I mention I was having a hard time thinking straight?_

"You will remain here. I tire of you, human." He turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Why was that strange? My brain was growing more sluggish by the second. Something about his feet touching the ground was supposed to mean something important. The edge of my vision was growing red in the waves of pain I was swimming in. _Stay conscious. Stay conscious,_ I chanted mentally.

The door closed behind him. At last I had a chance to analyze my situation, but with the pressure building in my skull I estimated I only had minutes to make an escape before my body gave out on me. If it was going to happen it needed to be now.

Keeping my eyes on the door I wriggled my fingers so that the lockpick built into my gloves extended. Even half out of it as I was, it took me only a handful of seconds to get free. Slowly, I got to my feet, patting myself down to see how much of my gear he'd left me with. My utility belt was still there. Thank God for small miracles. Tamaraneans fought with their fists and spears. I doubt he even knew that all my gadgets were weapons.

As soon as I was standing my stomach rebelled and I puked all over the white floor. Not a good sign. My knees shook beneath me as I wiped my mouth on my sleeve. He'd taken my communicator with him. I needed help. I didn't stand a prayer of fighting my way clear.

There was one window in the room. Staggering I made my way to it and looked down. I was on the second floor. A strange spaceship was parked on the front lawn in front of the Tower. Well that explained how we'd gotten here. It didn't help me escape. I could smash my way out, but he'd hear me and catch up easily. Flight was one heck of an advantage. I struck the window with my fist in frustration. There were no air vents I could crawl through, no magic escape routes I could take from within the room. I'd have to sneak through the Tower. Experimentally, I tried a ground takedown maneuver and thought my stomach would explode as nausea roiled through me again. _Great_. Nothing like a little extra challenge to make things interesting.


	16. Chapter 16

I stared at the door handle, blinking until the double-image swam back into a single one. It took a moment to psych myself up. As soon as I opened the door an invisible force slammed into me so hard I landed halfway across the room, missing my puddle of vomit by inches.

"Hello Princess, I heard you needed help getting out of your tower."

Groaning, I looked up to see Kid Flash standing in the doorway, his hands on his hips and a self-satisfied smirk on his face. The bright yellow of his costume sent a spike of pain through my skull and I closed my eyes.

"You think you can manage it without killing me while you're at it. I've got a major concussion here," I mumbled, slumping sideways onto my back. His smirk faded as he got a good look at my face. I must have looked about as bad as I felt. Instantly he was beside me, touching the side of my head. It was amazingly tender, and even though he was being careful the slight brush of his fingers nearly had me gagging again. He jerked his hand away.

"I don't know how you're still coherent. That's pretty nasty."

"Really? It feels like a dream," I said sarcastically. He huffed.

"Glad to see you're holding on to your sense of humor. You'd think you'd be grateful after I came all the way from Mexico to save your sorry butt...again! Where's the rest of your team anyway? I just got an emergency text from Batman and jetted over here as fast as I could."

"On Tamaran. Wally, you think this could wait until after we get out of here?" My voice was fading on me.

"Oh right. Bad guy. Got it. Hang on tight. This ride's about to get bumpy." And completely disregarding my warning about my head, he slung me over his shoulder and took off at top speed. We blazed through the door, and I caught a dizzying glimpse of RyAnd'r walking around the corner before I closed my eyes.

Kid Flash had never been in the Tower before. Maybe if I wasn't so out of it I would have remembered to tell him to turn left instead of right at the end of the hallway. The right took us to the stairs leading back up to the Common Room. Wally skidded to a halt when we reached the landing. Behind us, RyAnd'r roared.

"Guess someone's missing their punching bag. You got any places to hide in this thing?"

"It's a giant 'T', what do you think? Heroes don't hide in their own home. I'm not going to let him get away with this."

"Bro, I hate to tell you this, but you've been benched. You're going to have to leave this one to the real guns."

"They haven't show up yet." My speech was slurring and I was hanging onto consciousness by a thread. Kid Flash glanced over his shoulder at me and cursed under his breath.

"Christ, Dick."

"Just keep going. I'll be fine."

He went noticeably slower. It was still faster than I could move, but I felt each step he took like a jackhammer to my skull.

Just as Kid Flash was reaching the next floor, a bolt of silver shot up from the bottom floor, blowing out the steps Kid Flash and I were standing on. He barely caught himself. RyAnd'r rocketed up, tossing starbolts at us like baseballs. One pinged off my shoulder. The fireproof material of my cape saved me, but it was still hot.

Kid Flash ran. Weakly I fished a smoke bomb from my belt and dropped it behind us. RyAnd'r fired another starbolt. This one hit Kid Flash in the calf. Yelling, we crashed into the Common Room doors. That was it for me. My mind started shutting down. My eyes were half-lidded as Kid Flash limped toward me, picked me up, and tried to speed us out of the way, but RyAnd'r was right on top of us now.

"I got this, Boss." Wally set me down and ran straight for the Tamaranean. A yellow whirlwind formed around him. RyAnd'r growled as his grasping hands landed on thin air. Then he kicked out with one powerful leg. Kid Flash slammed into it with the force of a high-speed train. His legs rose from the ground as he folded around RyAnd'r's outstretched limb.

"Your speed is impressive. Let's see how fast you can run when I do this!" RyAnd'r drove his left heel through Wally's femur. Wally's scream pierced through my delirium. A white dagger of bone jutted up from his leg. RyAnd'r smiled evilly at me as he kicked Kid Flash out of the way. He started toward me and all I could do was sit there and watch him come.

A white starbolt formed in his hand. Death by starbolt, huh? At least it'd be quick. I closed my eyes and let my head flop forward onto my chest.

SCREECH!

"Leave. Them. Alone!"

Raven emerged from her black raven, but it wasn't the Raven I knew. There were white runes sketched up her bare arms. Her red eyes were on fire, her hair seemed longer than before, and her voice had taken on that scary tone as though there were a hundred Ravens speaking at once. RyAnd'r reached for her, but before he could even come close, a green tiger tackled him from behind. A jet of electric blue light hit the alien square in the back.

"Boo-yah!"

A weak laugh escaped me. I don't know how they did it, but they were here. The Titans had come.

"Robin, look at me," Raven commanded. She must have used magic to lift my head for me because I couldn't do it myself, and yet I found myself leaning back to look up at her. There was nothing remotely friendly in her eyes.

"This will hurt," she said in the same flat tone. _Right, because it feels just peachy right now... _ She laid her hand on the top of my head and I felt magic pour into me like water from a fire hose. The runes on her arms blazed white-hot. I struggled, but she dug her nails into my scalp to hold me to her. Hurt was an understatement. It felt like she was microwaving my brain. I came alive like a live wire.

"Raven, stop! I'm all right now. Raven, get off!"

I reached up, grabbed her wrist, and twisted as I shot to my feet. She made a hissing sound like an angry snake as I brought her wrist up between our two faces. Wide-eyed I stared at her. She hissed again and I let her go. What was happening to her? Whatever she'd done she had restored me to full-strength.

"Wha..?"

"You need to get out of here. All of you." She shoved me.

She lifted her hands over her head and RyAnd'r was trapped in a black bubble of power. I ran to where Beast Boy and Cyborg were kneeling beside Kid Flash. His face was white with pain. His leg was a mess of bone and blood. When he saw me his face creased with pain.

"Well hell, if I'd known you had super secret healing powers I'd have stayed on that beach in Mexico."

"Easy," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He grimaced. "Thanks for coming to get me."

"Just returning the favor. You guys came a heck of a lot farther to get me."

"This is touching and all, but I think we've got a problem," said Beast Boy, twisting to look at Raven. Her powers were causing the panels of the walls around her to vibrate. She stepped toward RyAnd'r with one outstretched hand. He struggled, but couldn't get free of the bubble that left only his head exposed.

"Raven, we've got him. It's okay."

She ignored me. Behind her on the wall the shadow was changing. Instead of a girl wearing a long cape it showed something...bigger. I saw horns before it grew too big for the hallway.

"Yo, Raven. Ease up. We've got the bad guy."

She brought her arms down in an 'x' across her chest, and suddenly great slashes appeared across RyAnd'r's bare chest. He howled.

"Raven, what are you doing?" Beast Boy shouted. He ran toward her, but a whirlwind was forming around her. The winds were so strong I slid across the tile floor. Cyborg picked up Kid Flash as gently as he could, but Wally still cried out. Beast Boy became a gorilla, flinging up one arm to cover his head as he continued toward her. He grabbed her foot. The moment he touched her the whirlwind died and her head snapped back.

"Beast Boy!" I shouted.

Whipping out my grappling gun, I fired it at the changeling just as Raven's magic detonated. After that I'm not really sure what happened. There was a bang like a bomb exploding. Beast Boy and I were yanked through the air, colliding in a tangle of limbs until he morphed into something too small for me to see. I think we went through some sort of portal, because the next thing I knew we were lying on the grass next to RyAnd'r's ship.

Raven flopped down next to us, but she had changed. Instead of her usual purple and deep navy, her priestess robes were completely white. The markings on her arms had vanished. She moaned as she rolled into her side.

"Ugh, what happened?" she groaned. Beast Boy appeared from wherever he'd been hiding and put his hands in his hips.

"Yea, kinda hoping you'd answer that one," he said. "You haven't gone wicked scary on us like that since..."

She jerked suddenly and sat up.

"No! He can't have!"

"Guys, what's going on? Where's Starfire?" I jumped in. Beast Boy didn't take his eyes off Raven.

"Batman wanted her to stay back until we got you out. It got kinda ugly, but she finally agreed. Superman and Wonder Woman stayed on Tamaran. That Galfore guy was threatening to declare war."

"War? Why?"

"You're like their prince now that you and Star are getting married. They are hardcore about protecting their royalty."

"And you? What's with the new outfit?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way. The prophecy... I still had time..."

"Earth to Raven, we can't handle another crisis at the moment. You think you can put this on hold until we get Starfire's brother back to Tamaran?" Beast Boy waved his hand as if her hyperventilating was an overreaction to seeing a spider. Her violet eyes snapped open and she was on her feet in front of him.

"The end of the world is here. It's not something I can _put on hold_," she growled, grabbing the collar of his black turtleneck on both sides and jerking him to her. His ears drooped.

"Oh."

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Guys, a little focus please? Enemies...that way." I pointed both thumbs over my shoulder toward the tower. As if on cue, something massive burst through the roof of the tower. It was an enormous body, but it wasn't entirely all there. I could sort of see through his red skin. He had a pair of huge white horns sticking out of his head, but his four red eyes were very familiar. I looked back at Raven, who winced.

"Guys, meet my father..."

Beast Boy actually gulped.

"_That's_ your father?" He looked from the red monster to Raven cringing next to us and swept his eyes up and down. "Dude, I always thought you were pretty but your mom must be insanely hot if you turned out like _that_ with half your genes coming from _him_." Raven and I both did a double-take at his unexpected compliment. She actually blushed.

"Okay, so we've got a demon overlord and an insane Tamaranian locked up in the Tower with Cyborg and Kid Flash trapped inside. Any ideas?" I asked to get them back on track. Beast Boy glanced up at the sky and grinned.

A green comet was streaking toward us.

For the first time since I woke up on Earth, I felt my spirits lift. The gang was all here.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: So sorry about the delayed update, guys. Time just got away from me. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I don't own any of the quotes taken from the episode, 'The End.' We're almost to the home stretch on this story. **

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"ROBIN! You are undamaged!" The green comet that was Starfire tackled me from the sky. She hit me so hard that we went over backwards, bounced in the grass, and skidded a few feet until my back collided with the base if a tree. Her arms wound around my waist, squeezing with everything she was worth. Between the collision and her hug I was having trouble getting any air into my lungs. I rapped her on the shoulder, too breathless to gasp out a protest.

"It's good to see you too," I said with weak humor, before a crunching sound overhead threw me back into battle mode. From the second story, Cyborg had charged through one of the glass windows carrying Kid Flash over his shoulder.

"Starfire!" I cried, pointing to the falling figures. She sprang away from me, using my chest as a sort of springboard that knocked all the wind I'd managed to regain right back out of me. She caught them easily. Still, Kid Flash screamed as the rough catch jarred his leg. Even from this distance I could see that his skin was gray with pain.

Overhead, the giant figure of Raven's father twisted to see what we were doing. Starfire gasped at the sheer size of him, but he seemed indifferent to her and the other Titans. I waved to get her attention. Beast Boy morphed into a squirrel and scampered into the boughs of the tree. Raven remained in the yard as Starfire brought the others under the shade with her.

"Raven," I hissed. But she was staring up at her father in stunned disbelief. Her mouth opened in horror and as he turned his head and stared down at her.

"Daughter," he boomed, stretching out his hand toward her. "Through you I am reborn. You are the vessel that contains my power. It is time that I am restored." Before she could move, before I could rush out and save her, Trigon snatched her up in his massive fist.

"Raven!" the Titans and I screamed in unison. His hand flared with white light as he clenched his fist, and then his fingers relaxed, opened to reveal...a child robed in all-white. She had chin-length purple hair and gray skin. Raven...? What had he done to her?

"You are of no further use to me," he said, casually tossing her away as though she was a outgrown doll. She screamed as she sailed through the air. Her cape billowed around her, but it was clear that she no longer had the use of her flight.

"Starfire!" I screamed, horror-stricken by the sight of my teammate plummeting to her death and being too far away to help. Painful memories resurfaced and I couldn't afford to let them affect me now. Before Starfire could set down Kid Flash though, a green pterodactyl swooped out from under the tree and caught the little girl by the arms with his large talons. Trigon watched dispassionately.

"Live or die, it makes little difference to me," he said before he turned away.

Beast Boy was himself again the moment he touched down beneath the tree. His arms wrapped the little girl secure against him as he took a couple steps to slow his incoming speed.

"What did he do to you?" he asked, holding her out at arm's length. There was no humor in his face. In fact he looked as fierce as any of the predators he could turn into. Young Raven cringed and tried to turn away from him.

"There was a prophecy. I was born so that Trigon could live again. I was supposed to bring the end of the world."

"You didn't think that was worth mentioning sometime in the past year?" asked Cyborg while keeping an eye on Trigon who had taken on a fully corporal form and was walking across the harbor toward the rest of Jump City. Raven hung her head.

"You would have tried to prevent it. But there's no stopping him. He is all-powerful."

"No he isn't," I said firmly. "If he was all-powerful he wouldn't have needed you all these years. He can be stopped and we _will_ stop him."

"What about RyAnd'r?" Starfire asked softly. I clenched my fist. When it rains it pours in Jump City.

"We'll deal with him later." I had the feeling that RyAnd'r was hoping Trigon would take care of us and was hiding out somewhere to watch. Despite all his talk he wasn't ready to take on our whole team. Otherwise he'd have attacked on Tamaran.

"We've got bigger fish to fry right now," Cyborg agreed. "He's heading for downtown."

"All right Titans, we'd better move. Kid Flash, how're you doing?" I asked. His leg was coated with blood. It was enough to make my stomach clench with sympathy. He managed a flippant smile and a wave.

"Go. Save the world. I'll just be here, bleeding to death on your front lawn."

"Raven, can you-?"

"No," she interrupted before I could finish. "My powers came from _him_, don't you understand. My powers...they're gone. I can't stop him. Nobody can." My mouth hung open. Raven was powerless? That didn't make any sense. If Trigon was her father then even if she had been a vessel for his powers she should have magic of her own that she had inherited from him. She would never have been able to use magic if she didn't possess some of it already. If all it took was reading some old books I'd be a grand-master wizard by now.

"You've got to try," I prodded. "Believe in yourself, Raven. Like I do. Like _we_ do." I gestured to the rest of the team. The child that used to be Raven looked around at us with her too-large violet eyes. Kid Flash was the only one not smiling at her, but I don't think she blamed him for that. Those little shoulders went up again.

"I can't," she whispered. Beast Boy reached out and touched her shoulder, squatting down so that they were eye to eye.

"You can do anything, Rae. You saved us in the Citadel, and you can stop that big ugly demon-guy now. You got this." He beamed at her. Kid Flash groaned and tapped Cyborg on the ankle, which was the nearest part of him he could reach from his seated position.

"Sucks to be you, man. Two couples and no girls to spare."

"Well you're obviously fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "Stay here and try to get in touch with the League. Tell them not to move in unless they're absolutely sure that we can't handle it." We both knew that meant that only unless we were dead or dying were they allowed to intervene. This was still my city, even if there were giant demon lords and angry Tamaranean princes roaming around in it. Flash nodded his understanding as the Titans and I gathered together to formulate our plan of attack.

Getting downtown was more awkward than usual with only Starfire and Beast Boy capable of flying. We decided against taking the T-car because it would take too long. We didn't know what Trigon was planning and we couldn't afford to waste precious time driving. That meant that Starfire was carrying both me and Cyborg across the city while Beast Boy carried young Raven in his talons again. It didn't come as any surprise to me, but Cyborg kept glancing back at the changeling as though he'd never seen him before. Maybe some of what Kid Flash had said had hit home. There _were_ two couples in the tower now, and that left Cyborg the odd man out. He never talked about girls much, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was too self-conscious to believe girls would be interested in him. He had fangirls just like Beast Boy and I did, but whenever we were mobbed in the street they treated him like an exotic car they could pose beside rather than throw themselves at him the way they did with me. With my hero-blinders on I'd never really paid it much thought, but as he glanced back one more time, I saw the hint of envy in his gaze.

"Robin, look!" I felt the ripple of shock go through Starfire a second before I heard her shriek. She couldn't point with Cyborg and me in either hand, but I turned to see four figures flying toward us. They looked like...us. A white starbolt shot fired again and I tucked in my legs to avoid being hit in the shins. Before I could react, a blue stream of energy fired from a ghostly version of Cyborg that was flying with large robotic wings strapped to his back. He took aim again, and Starfire banked left hard to avoid being hit.

I fired a pair of birdarangs back at the approaching phantoms that looked gray versions of the Titans. The first bounced ineffectively off the gray Cyborg's chest, but the second one impaled itself in the wing of the white eagle that was their Beast Boy.

"Titans, split up!" I shouted, releasing Starfire's hand as my doppelganger swung toward me on his own grappling gun. I pulled out my bo and hit him square in the stomach. The wind rushed out of him and we both plummeted to the ground as he lost his grip on his grappling gun.

"You won't win," my mirror said to me. "Looks like Batman will have to come and save you again."

"Why? You think you're some kind of challenge?" He raised his arms to fend off the blows from my staff. To my surprise, his boot shot out and hit me in the ribs, knocking me onto my back. He didn't waste any time leaping on me. My bo clattered out of my hand as I was suddenly on the defensive. Around us the others weren't doing much better. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cyborg blasted off his feet by his doppelganger's energy stream. Overhead there was a shriek as Starfire went crashing out of the sky. A white comet streaked after her laughing an evil laugh that was chillingly similar to the way her sister Blackfire had laughed while she was torturing her.

With a growl, I kicked my doppelganger away from me and threw a smokebomb at the white tiger that was circling Beast Boy and Raven, who were crouching behind a pile of rubble. The smoke confused the other Beast Boy long enough for Raven to run to safety. The white tiger pounced and a green gorilla caught it and tried to fend off the sharp jaws and raking claws. I threw another smoke pellet that hit the white tiger in the side, distracting it long enough to give Beast Boy a chance to disengage.

"Dudes, I didn't realize I was this tough," he panted, doubling over as the white tiger circled to face me.

"You're not," said Cyborg darkly. "I can kick your butt any day of the week..."

"Titans, switch!" I shouted. There was a moment of confusion before my words sank in. Cyborg gave a whoop before he ran to intercept the white tiger. Those sharp teeth clamped down on his metal arm, scraping and scratching ineffectively. Cyborg smiled.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself."

I ran to provide cover for Raven while Starfire took on rogue Cyborg and Beast Boy took the other Starfire. It was over quickly. My team is after all the best.

"See, I told you I could kick your butt," Cyborg told Beast Boy as everyone assembled around me. Beast Boy smirked.

The smiling didn't last long. Our defeat of his minions drew Trigon's attention and he swiveled his massive head in our direction.

"I tire of allowing your pointless existence."

Beast Boy's eyebrows rose. He glanced at the little girl behind us and laid one hand beside his mouth to whisper, "Guess he really is her dad."

Before I could respond, the four of us were engulfed in red-hot flames.


	18. Chapter 18

I felt as if every cell in my body was being torn in two. It was the feeling of being unmade. Gritting my teeth I willed my body to endure the pain. Trigon could not win. Somewhere close by, Raven was screaming.

Abruptly, the pain was gone. Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and I all dropped to our knees, groaning. Beast Boy whimpered and curled into a ball on the ground, clutching his stomach. Trigon chuckled. I lifted my head.

"You think because you hold some remnants of power within you that you are a match for me? You are nothing. I am your father," he said, leering down at his daughter who stood with her head bowed in submission-at least she did until she heard that last word. Then I felt a ripple of power in the air that felt oddly familiar. The little girl's head snapped up just as a black pool formed around her feet and traveled up her body in a swirling vortex. The wind around us picked up and instinctively I reached for Starfire's hand. The black magic swallowed Raven for a moment before it formed into a giant raven that let out a screech I knew well. Standing where the white robed girl had been was a woman in a white priestess gown. Violet hair fell to her waist and the ruby gems on her belt blazed with power.

"You were _never_ my father!" she said in her own voice. "Fathers are kind!" She blasted him with a beam of white power that I'd never seen before. He staggered and fell against a three-story parking garage.

"Fathers _protect_ you!" Another blast that sent him roaring. "Fathers _raise_ you! I was _protected_ by the monks of Azarhan. I was _raised_ by my friends. _They_ are my family. _This_ is my home, and _you_ are not welcome!" Each sentence was punctuated by a laser beam. Each one seemed more powerful than the last. Trigon flailed, knocking into a skyscraper. Cyborg and Beast Boy cheered. Starfire squeezed my hand. Trigon righted himself and raised his arm to send out a beam of his own. Instinctively I sucked in a breath to cry out a warning to Raven, but she didn't need it.

She rose into the air lifting her arms high over her head.

"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" Her voice echoed far across the city just before white energy erupted from her hands. I flung up my free hand to shield my eyes. My ears range with Trigon's roar of rage. And then all was instantly silent.

"Raven!" Beast Boy ran to the white figure that now lay on the pavement. By the time I reached them he had already lifted her up and was cradling her head against his chest. Before. I could check for a pulse her lashes fluttered and she moaned.

"Nice to have you back," I said grinning.

"I can't believe after all this time that it's over. The prophecy-"

"Doesn't matter. You are the only one in charge of your fate, Raven." She still looked awestruck. I'm not surprised. She'd been living with the idea that she was the harbinger of doom for her entire life only to find out that instead of ending the world she had saved it. Her smile dimmed.

"He's still there though. I can feel him. He'll always be a part of me."

"But he doesn't define you. Only you can do that. It doesn't matter what your family wants, what society wants, or even the planet. You decide who you are and where you belong." The words started to take on a life of their own as I lifted my gaze and met Starfire's green eyes over Beast Boy's shoulder. She got the message too. I wasn't exactly being subtle.

"Well that's one family reunion down, now what about the other one?" Cyborg said. In unison we all groaned.

"Hopefully we won't have to worry about him for a least a little while. If he's smart he's not going to want to mess with anyone who can take down a hundred-foot tall demon overlord. Besides, he lost his advantage. He was going to kill me before you could get here, but now that I'm free he knows that the five of us will stop at nothing until he pays for what he's done.

"So what do we do? The Tower's toast," Beast Boy pointed out.

"We'll go back and see the damage for ourselves. If it's still inhabitable then we'll get some rest and form a new plan of attack."

"And if the Tower's done for?" he prodded, making me frown. Cyborg nudged him.

"Bright little ray of sunshine today, aren't you?"

"Dude, I've had just about all the surprises I can take for one day."

"You're not the only one," I agreed. "Let's just go back to the Tower. If RyAnd'r is watching us we can't look like we're afraid to go back there."

The sound of police sirens grew louder coming up the street behind us. Three cop cars raced into view and I felt a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. Considering our recent encounter with the JCPD no one could blame me for being wary. My suspicions were confirmed when the first car skidded to a halt and an officer leapt out with his gun in his hands.

"Hands on the ground! You are under arrest!" His face was flushed, like he'd been waiting his whole career to say that. The Titans didn't move. There were six officers between the three cars, and soon six pistols were trained on us. Beast Boy groaned and helped Raven into a sitting position.

"What's the charge this time?" I called. The first cop, Officer Sparks, looked incredulous.

"You are under arrest for aiding and abetting a criminal. Starfire is under arrest for the attempt on Cat Grant's life last night." I swiped a hand impatiently over my face.

"We weren't even on this planet last night. Come on boys. I know ten-year-olds with better detective skills than you." Maybe not the best tactic with firearms pointed at my face, but I'd been having a rough day and I knew that these cops would never fire on us. Considering that the Titans had obviously saved the city from total annihilation via Trigon, surely most of the frenzy stirred up by Grant's articles had lost most of its momentum. Public opinion had a funny way of swinging in your favor when you save the world. These cops knew it too.

"We still want to bring you in. You may operate here but it is still our city to protect and you can't deny that ever since the Titans got here things have gotten out of hand. First all the increased meta activity, alien abductions and now _that_ guy? We deserve answers-especially if we're really all fighting on the same side."

As a general rule I don't cooperate with police procedure. I've met way too many dirty cops who would love to stab me in the back at the first opportunity. But damage control was in order. If the Titans didn't repair the breach in trust with the police then we would have to face a life of vigilantism. It worked in Gotham because the Batcave was secret and Batman could hide his true identity. My team weren't so fortunate. There was no disguising Beast Boy or Cyborg. The Tower was a symbol, and up until recently that symbol meant trust. That mattered to me. Gotham didn't trust Batman. If he was ever caught he'd be in Arkham right beside Joker.

"If you promise to be straight with us, we'll tell you what we know."

The others weren't expecting it. They gaped at me. Starfire looked downright frightened. That prompted me to add, "We'll come in as allies, not prisoners. Be warned there's not a cell in this city that could hold any of us."

"Agreed," said Sparks, clearly relieved and proud of himself. There was probably a bonus with his name on it already sitting on his desk. The titans looked decidedly less excited. Beast Boy was straight up glaring at me. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, but it has to be done."

"Robin, what of the crime of which they are claiming I committed? An attempt was made on the life of this Cat Grant. Do you suspect RyAnd'r?"

"Who else? We'll know more when we get to the station, but I suspect he wanted to use it as a final nail in your coffin."

"I have a coffin?" she squeaked. It had been so long since I'd had to explain a phrase to her that I just smiled at the normalcy of it.

"Expression," I said shortly. The moment was cut short as Sparks approached us. His gun was sheathed, but he had a pair of handcuffs in his hand. I narrowed my eyes.

"We'll meet you there, Officer," I said, squeezing Star's hand as a signal to leave. She rose obediently into the air. Behind us, Raven groaned, but formed a black disk that she, Cyborg, and Beast Boy rode as it too lifted into the air. Sparks watched us go looking disappointed. My tolerance of the police would only go so far. This entire affair proved how inept they were, and I was too tired to get into a pissing contest over whose authority held more sway.

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**A/N: The original episode did it so well that I really didn't see a reason to improve on it, but rather than skip over it entirely I just turned it into a little bit of character building. Obviously I don't own any of Raven's badassery. That came straight from the episode, The End. We're getting into the final showdown now. I apologize that my upload schedule has been a little off lately, but I'm trying to get back into the chapter a day posting that I was doing before. Ugh...life. I have an unfortunate habit of getting super inspired when life gets overwhelming. The older I get the less acceptable it is to blow off my responsibilities, shut myself in a room and just write all day. Ah well, hope you enjoy these little snatches as much as I enjoy writing them.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Patattack, I can appreciate that the show handled the whole Trigon thing with a bigger buildup and payoff. I'm glad you're sticking with the story anyway. Seeing as how this is a RobStar fic I didn't want to get too derailed with the Raven plot. I also want to thank everyone else for reviewing. It's great to get feedback from everyone. **

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"I'm going to warn you, we've just come off a round-trip to Tamaran, faced off against an alien prince, and defeated a demon overlord. We're tired, and this had better be quick," I said, leading my team into the interrogation room. It was a power play. Sparks was waiting for us, and the police commissioner was sitting beside him. They each had a yellow notepad in front of them and both looked up quickly when I spoke. The commissioner's face purpled at my words.

"This will take as long as it takes, Robin. I assume that is your given name," he added in a disapproving tone.

"It's the name I'm willing to give you," I said coolly. Cyborg smirked beside me and folded his arms over his chest. The small room wasn't really meant for group meetings, and with Starfire and Cyborg both standing at over six foot, the cramped space seemed even smaller.

"You want to watch that tone, young man? You may be a registered 'superhero' but the facts are the facts, and ever since you and your team started operating in Jump City the crime rate has shot through the roof. Insurance prices are threatening to bankrupt this city. Nearly every civilian that gets pulled over for a minor traffic infraction has to pay multiple fines because they can't afford to keep their vehicles insured when every other week you five are using cars as baseball bats to stop criminals who are only here to test themselves against you."

"Get to the point," I said impatiently. It wasn't the police commissioner's job to argue property damage with me. I had monthly webchats with the mayor about that nonsense.

"Very well," he said, tapping his red pen on his yellow notepad. He glanced down his long nose at the chicken scratch on the page, as if he didn't already have every point of attack memorized. "There are some serious allegations against members of your team concerning the alien abductions last summer.'

"Superman and Wonder Woman have both made it clear that the Titans were in no way responsible for those attacks. Next." It was hard to keep a stern look on my face when Beast Boy was cheering me on in a raised whisper.

"I was informed that Starfire would be returning to her planet to stay," he said, sling-shotting his gaze to where she stood behind me. My eyes narrowed.

"There is a rogue Tamaranean prince on the loose in your fair city, and Starfire has returned to help bring him to justice."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't she a princess? Does that not mean that this alleged 'rogue prince' is a relative?"

"Her brother, if you must know. Ironically, he's insulted that his big sis doesn't just subjugate all us weak little humans and turn us into slaves. He's been the one spreading information to the press in order to make her look bad."

"Why would he do that, Robin? What would he gain? If he discredits humans as much as you claim he does, why would he care what they thought of her?" His condescending tone was really grating on my nerves. He thought he was safe in his police station surrounded by all his cops and his procedures and protocols. It made him feel important to talk down to us.

"Because I killed our sister, who was next in line for the throne, and he wants to take everything that is dear to me in revenge," said Starfire softly. I gritted my teeth. While honest, so much truth all at once wasn't the best way to reassure this guy that she wasn't a threat. Understandably, the commissioner began scribbling away on his notepad. Sparks half rose from his chair in surprise.

"You killed your own sister? I thought the Titans didn't kill."

"Special circumstances," I said in a low voice that threatened violence if anyone pushed for more information.

"Special circumstances my ass!" cried the commissioner. "If that alien has blood on her hands then I demand to know what the circumstances were that lead to her shedding it."

The room went very still. I rotated my neck on my spine until it gave three soft, satisfying pops.

"What did you call her?" I said softly. Starfire put a comforting hand on my shoulder and pushed her way past me so that she could address the officers herself.

"My planet is not what you would call 'nice.' My older sister, KomAnd'r, orchestrated the abductions in order to capture me and bring me to a place known as the Citadel where I have already endured several years of slavery and degradation. The aliens that carried out her plans were a race known as the Psions, alien scientists who take great pleasure in performing horrific experiments on whatever lifeforms they are able to capture." Sadly, she looked down at her palm and created a starbolt the size of a softball. "My starbolts are the result of their experimentation. My siblings and I were captured when I was young. We were forced to endure the pain of having our bodies pumped full of the green energy that sustains us in order to know at what capacity the Tamaranian host cannot contain any more energy before it explodes. I have seen several of my fellow Tamaranians undergo the experiment who were unable to hold as much energy as I can. My siblings and I escaped before the experiments could be concluded, and it was then we discovered that we could project the energy from our hands in the form of starbolts. In the chaos of our escape, I became separated from my brother. KomAnd'r informed me that he had been slain. She urged me to return to Tamaran while she held off our pursuers to give me time to escape. She did not return with me. You see, KomAnd'r was born with a strange birth deficiency that denied her the red And'r hair and green eyes. Her dark hair and purple eyes were viewed as a deformity, and she was forbidden from ever taking the throne. As the next in line, those duties would go to me instead. For this reason, she vowed to destroy me, though I never knew how deeply she hated me until we faced each other that last time." There was a catch in her voice as she relived her terrible past for them. At last the commissioner seemed shaken from his smug perch. Spark's mouth was hanging open in shock at her sad tale.

"Not until recently did I learn that RyAnd'r, my brother, actually survived. KomAnd'r hid his existence. I believe she twisted his mind against me and thus he seeks revenge for her death." The entire time she spoke she kept her eyes fixed on a point above their heads, as if seeing their pity would be too much for her. I did not take her hand in front of them, but I stepped forward so that our arms brushed together to offer what support I could without making her feel weak.

"So you can see, _gentlemen_," I growled, "why we chose not to make this story public. What Starfire has endured for Tamaran and for Earth is beyond imaginable. Not once has she wavered in her pursuit of justice and the protection of mankind, not even when her own people and family turned against her has she ever acted against the interests of Earth. She nearly died to protect those people on that ship. And the next time I hear you refer to her as 'that alien' you'll get to see firsthand how fast I can take down a bad guy-without using a car as a baseball bat."

"Did you just threaten me, son?" he spluttered, resuming his self-righteous indignation. There was a whirring sound as Cyborg's arm formed into his sonic cannon.

"Personally, I thought he made himself pretty clear."

"You accused Starfire of making an attack on Cat Grant's life. Why?" Raven cut across our posturing with her usual impatience. The air around her was cooling rapidly. The cops seemed to notice for the first time that she wasn't wearing her customary navy blue robes. Sparks looked like he wanted to comment on it, but thought better of it.

"Ms. Grant was attacked in her hotel room last night. The assailant entered through the window, burning their way in with what forensics concludes must be starbolts, and proceeded to set fire to the apartment before escaping through the roof of the hallway outside her door."

"Dudes, do you have any idea how many flamethrowers there are out there? Just because someone tried to roast her alive doesn't mean it was Starfire," Beast Boy exclaimed. Sparks scowled.

"The security camera posted in the hallway outside her door shows that the assailant was roughly six-foot three with long red hair. They were wearing a cape similar to the one that Raven normally wears. They were moving so fast there's only a second or so of footage, but it was enough to conclude that we were in fact dealing with a Tamaranean."

"Don't you guys get in trouble for racial profiling?" Cyborg asked in a too-innocent sounding voice. That barb wasn't lost on the two policemen, but they both realized that they had made a mistake and weren't up to taking the bait that time.

"How is Ms. Grant?" Starfire asked. "Was she hurt?"

"She sustained only minor burns. The smoke incapacitated her, but help arrived in time to get her to safety," the commissioner said begrudgingly. I nodded.

"That's good to hear," I said. His eyes shot to my face.

"Don't think I haven't seen the footage of your escapade in that hotel room," he spat. Smug, I folded my arms over my chest and sent him a level stare.

"Remind me again how old you think _I_ am and how old you _know_ she is. If you honestly believe anything happened in that hotel room between us, shouldn't you be threatening to cart her off to jail as a sexual predator instead of throwing accusations at my head?"

"Don't think for one minute I believe your innocent act, Robin. I know damn well how many women and girls throw themselves at your feet. They treat you all like rock stars."

"Really?" Beast Boy perked up. Raven smacked him in the back of the head to shut him up. I smirked.

"So what do we do about RyAnd'r?" Officer Sparks asked before Beast Boy could say anything else. The Titans exchanged look.

"_You_ won't do anything. He's coming for Starfire and we'll deal with him."

"You're not going to just walk into my city and tell me how to-"

"What kind of chance do you think you and your men have against a Tamaranean sociopath?" I said wearily. "Let's get one thing straight: the Titans are here to stay, and we will protect this city with or without your approval. Understand? You need us, whether you like it or not. Titans, let's go home."

* * *

**A/N: Finally we've got the police off their backs. The officers might not be happy with them right now, but no more accusing them of crimes they didn't commit. Hooray! I know this chapter retreads a lot of old ground, but I felt it was necessary to show the police's reaction to what they've been through. **


	20. Chapter 20

Fortunately, the tower wasn't as bad as it had originally seemed. Sure some of the windows were blown out, and some of the walls were charred from RyAnd'r's starbolts, but our rooms were still untouched. Exhausted though we were, we all pitched in to put the common room back in order before we headed off to our rooms. It felt important, reclaiming our home. No one spoke. There were so many elephants in the room it wasn't even worth pointing them out.

"Where is Kid Flash?" Starfire asked as she lowered the couch back onto the floor after I finished vacuuming beneath it. I shrugged and switched off the vacuum to fire off a quick message on my communicator to Wally. His response told me that he'd gotten a hold of Flash who'd sprinted him off to receive immediate medical attention for his leg. Starfire was relieved when I read his response out loud. Later, I would write him a longer letter to thank him for coming to my rescue, but I just didn't have the energy in me anymore.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. I'm going to go recharge my batteries. See you in the morning," Cyborg announced with a yawn. He waved as he walked off to his room. Beast Boy and Raven murmured in agreement and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who noticed him wait for her before they walked up to the dormitories together. That left me and Star in the Common Room. She stood at the kitchen island with one knee resting on the bar stool chair. Her attention seemed to be somewhere else. I leaned against the back of the couch, watching her. For the first time since returning from Tamaran it dawned on me that I'd agreed to marry her. So much had happened that that little detail had simply fallen through the cracks.

"Everything all right, Star?" I asked when she showed no sign of moving. She jumped and turned her head to look at me.

"Oh! Apologies, Robin. I was doing the 'spacing,' was I not?"

"It's okay, Star. These past few days have been crazy. Do you want to talk about it?"

"It is just..." she trailed off, biting her lower lip in deep thought. The sight of her white teeth tugging at her glossy mouth drew my attention and I couldn't stop my mind from remembering what it felt like to have that mouth against mine. The way she had taken charge of the kiss... How her body molded itself against mine so that I felt every inch of her tall, tanned body against mine... I felt my breathing grow shallow and I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

"It's just what?" _Man, I didn't mean for my voice to sound that husky._ Quickly, I cleared my throat and crossed the room to join her at the island. she had something on her mind and I was losing myself in my hormones.

"Please do not be angry with me, but I do not believe my brother is the criminal. I realize that he did the kidnapping of you, and that he harmed our friends intentionally, but I cannot help but think that it is Blackfire's fault. She kept him from me and kept the truth from him. Is it so wrong that he should choose her side when she is the one who took care of him?" Her green eyes were full of sadness as they lifted to meet mine. She wanted so desperately to find an excuse for her brother. Maybe she remembered a time when they had loved each other the way siblings should. Maybe she was just fooling herself and RyAnd'r was just as evil and screwed up as Blackfire. But it didn't matter. He was all that was left of her family and she wanted to save him.

"I'm not angry," I assured her, touching her shoulder. "He's your brother-a brother you didn't even know was still alive until a few days ago. No one blames you for wanting to believe there's a good person still inside of him."

"You must think I am damaged to have come from such a family full of such dysfunction. I apologize that you must deal with our problems."

"Don't apologize. You're not the only with family issues. You saw Raven's Daddy issues, and Batman and I aren't exactly the best of friends."

"Yes, but-"

I kissed her to shut her up. It was just a quick peck on the lips, but it was effective. I grinned at the adorable look of shock and pleasure that brought a rosy hue to her face.

"Besides, you and I have other things to worry about. The last time I checked, we decided to get married. I don't know about you, but I think I'd rather talk about what that future holds than the parts of our past we can't change."

"After all this you still wish to marry me?" she asked incredulously. Her surprise made me frown.

"I'm not going to lie, the idea of being married at sixteen is a little terrifying, but there's nothing you or anyone else can do to scare me away at this point. I'd marry you a hundred times if it meant that I don't have to lose you to someone else." The mushy words were doing the trick. All the fear and concern were melting away from her as a dreamy smile brightened her face with a radiance I had never seen before. God she was beautiful.

"Actually," she blushed a bright red and ducked her head. "We are not betrothed until..." She giggled nervously.

"Until what?" I had a sinking suspicion I knew what she was going to say and I wasn't sure how I was going to react if she actually said what I was thinking.

"I realize that all of this is very sudden for you, Robin. I do not wish to ask more than you are prepared to give. I will inform the Counsel that the betrothal has been completed."

"Until what?" I prodded. My face was getting warm now as I imagined all the various ways a culture might seal a betrothal.

"On Tamaran, my betrothed would be expected to share my quarters. The time between the betrothal and the wedding feast is meant to be a time of courtship and coming to know each other better...as partners." _Yep, I was beet red now._

"Oh. You mean... Right now...?"

"I am not asking anything of you, Robin. You are not ready. On Earth these things take time. Just know that my door will always be open to you." She started to move past me, but my hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist as though it had a mind of its own. I looked at the floor, too chicken to look her in the eye.

"We just have to sleep in the same bed?"

"Yes. It is a symbol of trust that we would allow ourselves to be at our most vulnerable in the presence of our betrothed. It is not uncommon for couples to copulate during this time, but it is not required. I know that is asking too much of you." The blood surging through my veins was torn between filling my face with heat or rushing to fill other parts of my body at what she was suggesting. The trouble was, I wasn't freaked out by the idea. Pictures of pulling her into my arms as we slept started flashing through my head and I was almost entirely on board with the idea. We could do this at our own pace. I mean, we were betrothed. Batman had even given his permission...more or less.

"Your room or mine?" I asked. That husky note had found its way back into my voice but I didn't care. Her answering sultry smile was totally worth it. She yanked me to her and hugged me so hard that I had to tap out for air.

We decided on her room. Her bed with its unusual shape was larger and better able to fit two people comfortably in it. I was grateful that the others had gone to bed before us and that I wouldn't be seen going in. While I was comfortable with taking this step with her, I would probably lose my nerve if Beast Boy or Cyborg was around to tease me about it. I fully planned on sneaking out in the morning without being seen.

The moment we closed the door behind us, things got awkward-at least for me anyway. I didn't know whether to just strip down in front of her or go back to my room and change. Should I shower first, or could we both just accept that we were too tired and just go to sleep. This was her room, should I wait for her to get into bed first? Starfire was no help. Rather than give me a clue, she just drifted over to her vanity and began brushing out her hair. She had her back to me but our eyes locked in the mirror as I stood there helplessly debating what I should do. Taking a chance, I walked over and sat on the edge of her bed, watching her stroke the black brush down through her long red hair. In the silent room I could hear the faint _swish_ as it pulled through the wavy strands. Needing something to do, I tugged off my gloves and tossed them onto the floor. She dragged her hair over one shoulder, exposing the long line of her neck for me to see. She arched her back, giving me a spectacular view of her profile as she did so, in order to unclasp the gorget that encircled her throat. As it clattered to the floor I realized how vulnerable she looked without it, though perhaps vulnerable wasn't the right word. Exposed was a better choice. Without the heavy metal that shielded her neck and shoulders I saw that her purple leotard was held up by only a thin band behind her neck. Considering everything that it held in place...it seemed woefully inadequate.

I kicked off my boots, not taking my eyes off her as she twisted in her seat to unzip her own thigh-high purple ones one by one. My eyes followed her hand as it traveled gracefully down her calf and her beautiful long legs were exposed. With shaky fingers, I reached up to unclip my cape from my shoulders and dropped it on top of the heap I had already made with the rest of my uniform. My utility belt followed soon after.

Starfire rose from her seat and floated toward me.

"Robin, you know that I admire you more than any other," she began softly.

"Starfire, stop talking and kiss me!" I groaned, hauling her onto my lap. I crashed our mouths together, wrapping my hands around her narrow waist as she straddled me. She grabbed my head in her hands and pulled me to her, kissing me as though our lives depended on it. My hands ran up and down her exposed back, gripping her soft skin and kneading it with my fingers. Her hips rolled against me and I groaned at the sensations she sent spiraling through me. This was dangerous, but I didn't care, it was glorious. I moved from her lips to suck at the soft, delicate skin of her throat as she threw back her head and gasped to the ceiling. The sound of it nearly took my head off. Her fingers clenched in my hair and tugged. A few hairs pulled loose thanks to her super strength and I winced, but before I could ask her to let go she was tilting my head up for more kisses, pushing her full weight down on me so that I laid back on her bed. Blindly, we scooted up the bed until my head found the pillows before we continued kissing. So long I'd dreamed of her like this. That amazing body pressed against mine, that beautiful face between my hands, and that soft hair falling down around us. Her hands trailed down my chest and over my stomach before she tugged my shirt free of my pants and yanked it over my head. She gasped at the sight of my bare chest.

I never take my shirt off around the others if I can help it. I may have an eight pack and muscles to spare, but I've also got a symphony of scars written across my body that I'm not proud of. Each scar is a memory of a time I wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. Every burn is a mistake that I should have avoided. There's nothing pretty about my body. Starfire doesn't scar. Her skin is perfect and unblemished, and smooth and soft. Mine... Mine makes you want to cry.

"Robin..." she whispered, staring down at me. I squirmed under her gaze. Her eyes found the round mark left by a bullet that had been the final nail in the coffin between Batman and I. Her finger traced it gently and I flinched.

"I guess I got a little carried away," I said, trying to laugh it off. I'd never really considered the possibility that I would ever have a girlfriend, so I'd never bothered to think about what would happen if the girl I was with ever got a good look at the real me. It didn't help that the girl on top of me was everything that I wasn't.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," I said, tapping her leg so that she would move and I could roll onto my side. A bad move. The scars on my back are worse than my front. I don't often get hit if I can see it coming. It's the attacks that come from behind that I have a hard time getting out of the way of. She said nothing. I felt the bed shift as she left it to turn off the lights. Then she slid into bed, but rather than put her head on the pillow beside mine, her toes brushed against my shoulder blade. Oh yea, I'd forgotten she did that. Starfire sleeps upside down. She claims it feels better to her, but I don't understand how.

Slowly, the pounding of my heart eased into a more natural rhythm and I gave myself over to my exhaustion.


	21. Chapter 21

I woke feeling uncomfortably warm and wincing thanks to a crick in my neck. My pillow was harder than usual and I shifted my head, thinking I had fallen asleep with my laptop under my cheek again. Then my pillow shifted and the night's events snapped me in the face like a rubber band. My eyes flew open to see that I was using Starfire's inner thigh as a pillow. Sometime we had curled ourselves around each other like a living ying and yang symbol. Her head was on my knees facing me. She was still asleep, but she was smiling. I froze. She looked so happy. Morning sunlight landed on her hair from the window behind her and gave her a pretty glow. Hesitantly, I lifted my hand to brush the hair back from her face.

"Yo, Robin!"

_Crap_! Across the hall Cyborg banged on my door.

"We've got a lead on RyAnd'r." There was a beeping sound as he overrode the code on my door. I cringed as he gave a loud shout.

"Whoa!" He went stomping back into the hallway and pounded on Beast Boy's door. "Wake up. Robin's missing again. Get Raven, I'll go wake up Starfire."

By now, Starfire was already awake and was frowning at me. Her peaceful smile was gone and a trickle of doubt was creeping into her eyes. We both jumped as Cyborg thumped on the door.

"Starfire, get up, Robin's not in his room. We've got to go find him."

"Everything's fine, Cyborg. I'll be out in a sec," I called. Even though he couldn't see me my face was burning with embarrassment. There was an audible pause on the other side of the door. I could picture the look on his face.

"BEAST BOY!"

It was lucky Star kept her uniform on and I still had on my pants because Cyborg punched in the code and the door slid open to reveal the other three standing on the threshold. Starfire and I sat up slowly. In hindsight, I can imagine how our position must have looked. I know Cyborg's mind definitely went there because he smirked. Beast Boy's mouth hung open while Raven looked bored. Quickly I pulled on my shirt before anyone else got a good look at my scars.

"Cyborg, you know better than to barge into the girls' room like that," I said, grasping for any excuse to not be on the receiving end of this morning's humiliation. His eyebrow went up and I knew I'd picked the wrong argument.

"I'm pretty sure there's a lot of things we're not supposed to do in the girls' rooms, Robin."

"You said you had a lead on RyAnd'r," I said, desperate to change the subject.

"Uh huh," he said, making sure everyone knew I what I was trying to do. "I ran a scan on the heat signatures in Jump and I got a couple of hits where there's some unusually hot spots." The longer he kept talking the more serious he became. He raised his arm and pressed a button so that a holographic image of the heat tracers he was talking about displayed for us to see. There were three abnormal spots. Two were located along nearby fault lines, but the third was just along the coast. There were all sorts of caves and dug out from erosion. If RyAnd'r had taken refuge he would definitely go for a place that would easy to protect.

"That one," Starfire pointed to the same one that had grabbed my attention. "Right now he is the trapped gerdelsklorp. He will want a place that provides both shelter and cover should we attack him. Aqualad took me to visit those caves the last time he came to visit and the only entrance is by the water. It would be the most strategic hideout." _Aqualad did what? When was this and where was I?_

"Well great, we narrowed that down, but like she said, he's a cornered tiger in there. It's crazy to come at him head on." Cyborg looked to me for a plan.

"So we lure him out," I said with a shrug. RyAnd'r seemed to share his oldest sister's hot temper.

"We gonna' leave now, or do you want us to give you and Starfire a little more time to uh...finish up?" Cyborg fired the loaded innuendo with all the precision of his sonic cannon. A blush exploded across my cheeks, but I was also angry. Nothing had happened between me and Starfire. In fact, I seriously doubted whether there was much hope of things getting much further than they had last night considering how quickly she'd been repelled by the sight of my bared chest. Maybe the sight of my scars brought home just how weak I was compared to her. I didn't doubt that she cared about me any less than she had before, I mean we were best friends after all, but maybe I wasn't as physically appealing now that she saw what was beneath the cape. It was a depressing thought. Raven suddenly tilted her head and frowned at me. She must have picked up on the sudden dip in my emotions and was wondering what had caused it. Now there was one conversation I really didn't want to have.

"You are implying that Robin and I have engaged in sexual intercourse, yes?" said Starfire. I don't think I've ever wished so hard to be struck dead on the spot. Cyborg's mouth formed a perfect 'o' of surprise, and Beast Boy's eyes bulged. Even Raven's eye twitched as unwelcome images undoubtedly flashed before her eyes. Starfire put her hands on her hips. "He is my betrothed now. On Tamaran it is expected that a pair sleep together in order to establish a bond."

"Yea, but you guys haven't even... You're both... You really went all the way?" Cyborg looked at me as though I'd suddenly sprouted a horn out of my forehead and started prancing around on golden hooves.

"What happens between Starfire and me is none of your business."

"Robin is not yet comfortable sharing his naked form with me," said Starfire as simply as if what she was saying was no more personal than what color gloves I was wearing. Beast Boy was so shocked that his body spasmed into the form of a cat with its back arched before reverting to his human form in the blink of an eye.

"You mean you offered and he turned you down?" he blurted out. A black band of power sealed itself over his mouth.

"Robin's right. What happens between him and Starfire is really none of our business. Stop picking on them and give them time to get ready," Raven said. "As for you two, don't rush into anything. I can tell you're both all over the place with your emotions. You don't need to explain, and frankly I don't want to know. Just know that there's no hurry or anything..." A faint blush crept over her face. I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks, Mom," I muttered. "Right now I'm more concerned with catching RyAnd'r before he causes any more damage than figuring out how to score with Star." Starfire tilted her head to the side in that way that meant she was confused.

"Score?" she asked curiously. "Does Earthen mating include a point system?" I groaned as Cyborg burst into loud laughter. I narrowed my eyes.

"You think this is funny? We've got a situation on our hands and you're all standing around." Finally it was getting easier to push the embarrassment aside and channel the authority I needed to get us all back on track. All this could wait until we had RyAnd'r taken care of. Not for a moment did I think Cyborg or Beast Boy would forget and simply move on with their lives, but at least they knew when to put it aside and focus on what was important. Still smirking, Cyborg nodded.

"I'll check the city maps and double-check that there aren't access tunnels to that area. See you in five." I needed to restock my utility belt and put on a fresh uniform. Starfire had to put her gorget back on and lace up her boots. Raven and Beast Boy quietly slipped away, though I noticed Beast Boy's lips trembling with barely contained laughter.

Starfire put a hand on my shoulder, making me jump.

"Robin, if you-"

"Not now, Star. We've got more important things to worry about." It came out without thinking, an old defense mechanism from my days of denial. _No Star, I'm not crushing on you right now, I'm too busy working...see? _It hurt her every time I did it, but this time I could see that it really stung. Like an ass, I ignored the crestfallen look on her face and hurried across the hall to my room, eager for some distance. When the door slid shut behind me I pressed my back against the metal panel and leaned my head back against the door. This was all going too fast for me. I'd told her I was ready for this and I was wrong. I needed to punch something. I needed to vent my frustration at my own shortcomings on an enemy. Muttering under my breath, I hastily kicked off my green pants and hauled my shirt over my head. More uniforms hung in my closet, and the double doors of my wardrobe opened to reveal all of my gadgets, birdarangs, and devices that I needed to keep my stores replenished. _  
_

RyAnd'r was a bigger threat than most that we faced in Jump. Trigon was power incarnate and luckily Raven had been strong enough to handle him because I would have been virtually useless against him. Guys like RyAnd'r might have super strength, but at least they had physical weaknesses too. If I was smart, I could find them and use them against him. Fortunately I already had practice sparring with a Tamaranean. I knew how to subdue him, but to keep him that way... Buried at the bottom of my closet was a box with the bracers Starfire had been wearing when she first showed up on earth. While they didn't stop her strength, they prevented her from using her starbolts and that was a serious advantage. The only problem was that they were bulky. There would be no hiding them in one of the compartments on my belt.

There was a knock at my door.

"We await your presence," Starfire called formally through the door. I winced, understanding that I had seriously hurt her feelings. Oh well, it couldn't be helped now. We were heroes first, and that's the way it would always have to be.

It was easy to find the cave where RyAnd'r was hiding with Cyborg's heat tracer's to guide us. Initially we had a little bit of a problem getting a read with Starfire throwing off her own thermal heat and confusing the sensors, but eventually he calibrated it so that it projected away from us and guided us to the little cave we'd pegged on the map.

"Robin, he is my brother. I believe I should try to engage him first. Perhaps we can discuss this and there will be no need to fight." Starfire sounded hopeful, but she hadn't seen him. Still, I could see the sense in her plan. She was the best suited to dealing with him. She was the focus of his hatred, and if she went in first it might be easier to contain him to the area which was a far enough distance from the city that we didn't have to worry about collateral damage.

"Be careful," Cyborg warned for me as she glided forward. "I don't think he's playing with a full deck.'

"I am prepared to do what I must," she said in a small voice. God it must be hard for her. How do you face a sibling you thought was dead and know deep down that he wants nothing more than to see you dead? She hid her emotions well. They disappeared behind the facade of a warrior. Maybe I was wearing off on her a little bit.

Raven formed a black disc that Beast Boy, Cyborg, and I crouched on behind an outcropping of jagged rocks as we watched Starfire disappear inside the mouth of the cave. My heart hammered in my chest. I hated sending her in there. I knew she was strong and that she could probably take him, she was after all older than he was and a seasoned warrior whereas he had been hidden away all these years by Blackfire. Still, he was desperate, and in my experience, desperate men could always be counted on to do the unexpected.

Starfire disappeared into the shadows, and we waited...

* * *

**A/N: I went back and forth on this chapter. It felt wrong to not have a morning after scene, but at the same time I wanted to get to the confrontation with RyAnd'r sooner. Robin is entirely too awkward to just wake up in Star's bed and not have some kind of meltdown about it and I really wanted to explore it. Oh well. In the next chapter I can promise plenty of action to make up for it. **


	22. Chapter 22

I hate waiting.

When I worked with Batman I was always waiting. Waiting for Batman to teach me some new tip or trick to make putting together the pieces of the case easier, waiting for the criminals to get caught in the act so we could apprehend them, waiting for the legal system to fail so they'd get released and we could go after them again, waiting for the right moment to strike. With Batman it had been tedious. We were always ten steps ahead waiting for the criminals to catch up. With the Titans it was different.

I trust my team, I really do, but they don't always trust themselves. It's no wonder considering everything each one of them has been through. I learned from a young age that if you were going to do something you had to put aside your fears and just do it. You couldn't do a quadruple somersault off the trapeze if you were concentrating more on not having a net than on finishing your rotations. Being an acrobat I'd always been a little reckless and over-confident in my abilities. Batman had only made it worse, pushing me past even my limits and not accepting any weaknesses. Getting shot or stabbed wasn't an excuse for failure. Emotions, fears, doubts...all that didn't belong in our line of work.

_Except when I was with the Titans._ Watching Starfire disappear into the mouth of that cave and not knowing what waited for her in the darkness was torture. It wasn't just because it was Starfire. I mean, I'd feel the same panic if I was watching Beast Boy walk off to face his demons alone. But Starfire's powers were tied to her emotions. I couldn't train it out of her because it was a part of what she was. How would she react to seeing her brother for the first time in I don't know how many years? She still had hope that he could be reasoned with.

"Raven, take these handcuffs. Get them on him at the first chance you get." I gave her the bracers that had come from the bottom of my closet. She took them, frowning.

"Why do you still have these?" she asked in a hard voice. I understood. They were a symbol of something horrific that had happened to one of our friends.

"They're our best chance of stopping him without any of us getting killed." She wasn't satisfied. After all I hadn't exactly answered her question. The truth was, I was hardwired by Batman to always have a fail safe in place. I knew how dangerous Starfire could be, and I'd kept the bracers just in case. Batman keeps a piece of kryptonite on his belt on the off-chance that Superman has a bad day, so it seemed perfectly reasonable for me to hang onto the only means of subduing a Tamaranean I'd ever come across. At least mine wouldn't kill her.

"Where are you going?" Cyborg asked as I climbed onto the top of the rock.

"I can't let her go alone."

"Dude, we're all worried about her. She'll be fine. She's Starfire," said Beast Boy with confidence.

"If having a girlfriend turns you this inside out it's no wonder you held out for so long," said Cyborg. My whole body clenched at his words and I glared at him.

"One more wisecrack about me and Starfire and you'll be swimming laps every day for a week." You want to watch a robot freak out, threaten to push him into a pool. Cyborg is basically waterproof, but some of his hardware will rust and it takes him hours afterwards to completely dry off every nut and bolt.

"Geeze, lighten up, bro. You know I'm only joking. I think it's great you guys are together. I'm happy for you. Really."

"We're in the middle of a mission. Now is not the time."

Inwardly I cringed as I heard myself parroting Batman. He reflected himself in me at the weirdest moments. Even though it was true I wanted to take back the words, only because of what they said about me and the person I was in danger of turning into.

"So while you're off saving your girlfriend, what are we supposed to do?" Cyborg huffed.

"Wait for my signal," I said simply. Don't think I didn't notice the hypocrisy. I hate waiting, but I had no problem telling them to sit tight while I rushed off into danger. If they didn't like it, tough. I'm the leader, I get a free pass to be a hypocrite if the situation calls for it.

"She's been in there a long time," Cyborg murmured, glancing back at the cave uncertainly. It was very quiet. I took that as a good sign. Maybe she was talking to him. I needed to know for sure though.

"We're coming with you," said Raven as I prepared to spring onto the nearest boulder leading to the cave. I staggered and nearly slipped off the wet rock. Whipping around to argue with her I saw that her pale face was set with determination. "You're worried about her. Even these two can feel it. You think she needs help. She's our teammate too. We're coming. Get on." Her black disc floated up a couple of feet so that I could step on. I opened my mouth to argue, feeling the petty need to have the last word. I hate when they steal my authority like that, but Raven raised one eyebrow in warning and I decided to let her have this one. Besides, I could save my strength riding the disc than leapfrogging across the rocks, which were far apart and slippery.

"Do you hear anything?" I asked as we entered the shade of the cave. Beast Boy had the best ears out of all of us, obviously, and in times like these he made for the perfect scout. He seemed to disappear before my eyes for a moment, but a second later I saw his silhouette fluttering across the backdrop of the blue sky outside and realized that he had turned into a moth. A second later he was himself again.

"She hasn't found him yet. I think he's still hiding from her," he whispered.

"How can a moth figure that out?" asked Cyborg, genuinely surprised. Beast Boy grinned.

"The wax moth has the best hearing out of any animal on the planet. It's so good it can even hear sonar from bats. There's a nest of them back there and they're a little uneasy with Starfire moving around in their territory. Don't be surprised if they swarm out soon."

I gave a hollow laugh. Right, like bats scare me. Beast Boy grinned again, realizing who he was speaking to. Ignoring him, I reached up to tap the side of my mask to initiate night vision capabilities. Of the four of us, I was the only one who had difficulty seeing in the dark. Raven wasn't on Beast Boy or Cyborg's level, but her dark magic gave her an added boost that I didn't have. At once, the layout of the cave became visible in the greenish hue of infrared vision. Beast Boy turned into a panther, stalking ahead of us. I'm always impressed with his knowledge of animals and their strengths. I've never sat down to talk with him about how he picks and chooses which ones to turn into or whether he instinctively knows which ones have the greatest strengths and weaknesses or if it's all trial and error. Either way, the panther was a good choice. It was silent, strong, and easily camoflaughed in the darkness, with strong enough night vision to stalk through the winding tunnel.

"RyAnd'r? Why do you not come out?" I heard the echo of Starfire's voice. "I do not wish to do battle with you. I am overjoyed to find that you are alive. Please, Brother, let us not fight."

We froze, waiting for his reaction. There was a hissing sound that sounded terrifying echoing off the cave walls. it was followed almost immediately by rapid squeaking sounds and the flap of leathery wings. i lifted an arm to shield my face as the bats swarmed out of the tunnel, just as beast Boy had predicted. Starfire shrieked, but I could tell from the tone that she was only surprised and not in danger. I don't know if she's ever seen bats before.

"_You killed our sister,_" RyAnd'r snarled. I glanced around at the others. We all heard the venom in his voice. He was on the verge of doing something desperate. we picked up our speed, trying to be as quiet as possible. When Cyborg's metal feet made a mettalic thump on the ground, Raven made him another disk and we all leapt on it as it sped through the tunnel.

"Please, you do not know the full story," Starfire began. "I had no control-"

"Lies! You abandoned us to return to Tamaran. You left me for dead!"

"KomAnd'r told me you had been slain. She said she would do the holding off of the Psions while I escaped. If I had known..."

I don't know if anyone else heard it, but there was a small catch in Starfire's voice. Suddenly, my opinion of RyAnd'r as a threat increased. He knew how to manipulate her. Being Tamaranean he understood exactly how to use her weaknesses against her. He wasn't hiding, he was wearing her down. If he kept bringing up what happened in their past she would lose control of her powers. She had already admitted that she didn't want to fight him.

We rounded another curve and Starfire came into view. At the sound of our rapid approach she whirled around, a starbolt ready in her hand. I held up both hands to show her it was just us and we weren't trying to attack. She scowled at me. She didn't like that we had changed the plan without telling her.

"You chose them over your family, Kori. You would rather stay on Earth than go home to your people. You are a disgrace!" It was hard for me to get a read on his location with his voice echoing off the walls. We were in a large cavern. There were several abnormally bright heat signatures around us and my opinion of him went up again. Knowing that we could track him this way he'd used his starbolts to heat up the rocks.

"Over there," Beast Boy whispered, pointing to a ledge where another heat signature could be found. I focused on it. It was actually not as hot as the others, and certainly not giving off the heat Starfire was.

"Once you are dead I will return to our world and assume the throne that you have discarded! I will rule Tamaran as she was meant to be ruled, with strength and honor, not weakness and fear."

"RyAnd'r, please, we need not do this. Let us put the past behind us. You are the only family I have left." Starfire pleaded with him and my heart broke for her. She wanted so badly for things to work out, but I could see they weren't going to. I didn't touch her, but I wanted to pull her against me and wrap my arms around her. This was like watching her lose him all over again.

"Really? Because I have no family. My sister was slain by a pretender to the crown."

Finally, he attacked. Like a shooting star he shot out from his hiding place streaming a jet of silver light. It was so bright that my eyes screamed due to the intensified light receptors in my goggles. Instinct took over and before I thought better of it, I knocked Starfire out of the way. RyAnd'r slammed me to the ground. My head hit stone and my whole body went limp. _Not a good sign._ Starfire hauled him off me instantly, flinging him away from us so that he struck the wall of the cave. Angry at myself for looking so weak, I forced myself to get up, but my stomach lurched with nausea and I knew I'd received another head injury.

Starbolts flew between the two siblings as Starfire drove him back. He hissed and spit like a wildcat as he danced out of the way. A cool hand touched the top of my head and Raven's power seeped into me.

"Don't make a habit of this, Robin," she murmured as the light dimmed from her hands. I ignored the mild taunt.

"Just get the cuffs on him," I muttered, running after Starfire. Beast Boy was ahead of me, a giant green gorilla hurling rocks and stones at RyAnd'r. He didn't need night vision with all of the light coming from the two Tamaraneans, and I quickly tapped my mask again to turn off the sensors. I was lucky I hadn't blinded myself.

RyAnd'r gathered his feet behind him and pushed off the wall, shooting toward Beast Boy like a missile. The gorilla was too slow to bat him away. RyAnd'r caught the large fist swinging toward him and grabbed Beast Boy under his massive jaws. The howl of the gorilla sharpened painfully into Beast Boy's shriek as RyAnd'r funneled energy into his hands. I fired off two birdarangs that dug into the flesh of his forearm, but he simply gritted his teeth and clenched his fist around Beast Boy's throat.

"Hands off, buddy!" Cyborg shouted, blasting him with his sonic cannon. The two figures flew apart, and Beast Boy collapsed to the ground in a heap. The smell of burning hair and flesh stung my nostrils and I fought not to run to his side. Raven was already there. Her eyes and hands were already glowing.

"Raven, toss me the bracers!" I shouted, stretching out my hand for them as I watched Cyborg and Starfire struggle to hit RyAnd'r, who was bouncing off the walls and firing silver starbolts from his hands and eyes. He fought differently than his sisters. His movements were jerky, swift strikes. He moved fast though, almost as though he was freeze-framing from one move to the next. That wasn't good. I couldn't keep up with someone who moved like that.

Raven lifted the bracers with her powers and threw them to me, not taking her hands off Beast Boy's neck where the flesh had been burned away. My stomach turned at the sight and anger rippled through me. RyAnd'r would pay for that.

When I looked back at the others, RyAnd'r had somehow managed to get beside Cyborg. I cried out, but was helpless to stop him as he tore the sonic cannon off, taking most of Cyborg's arm with it. Cyborg howled, not so much with pain but frustration. Starfire threw a roundhouse kick that caught RyAnd'r in the stomach. He folded around her leg. Snarling, she put her fists together and slammed them into his back, dropping him to the ground. His face hit the stone floor and he made to rise, but she drove her knees into his back, wrenching his arms behind him with brutal force.

"Yield to me, brother! I do not wish to do this!"

Flight is one hell of an advantage in a fight. It takes things to a whole different plane than regular fighting. Despite all of her weight on him, RyAnd'r rocketed straight up, slamming her head into the ceiling. Starfire's body sagged sideways and he whirled on her, punching her kneeing her. They were too high for me to help. He snarled in Tamaranean, grabbing a fistful of her hair and slamming her against the wall. She elbowed him in the chin.

"I do not wish to hurt you!"

"You already have! You killed KomAnd'r. You killed my sister!"

To my shock, he lost altitude. Starfire was dazed still, or else she would have noticed.

"When they recaptured me after our escape she came to my rescue. She saved me and she kept me safe. You didn't even look back. You told me you would protect me and you left me there to die!" He roared at her. His face contorted as he lost a few more feet. He still held the ends of her hair in his hands, but Starfire's face was streaked with tears now. She dropped as though she was a marionette whose strings had been cut.

"I did not know!" she moaned. He kneed her in the chest, but his strike had less power than the previous ones. There were tears on his face too, slipping through the lines of anger. Suddenly they both dropped the remaining ten feet to the ground. Neither moved. Starfire lay on her side, her back facing me. I could see her shoulders shuddering with silent sobs. RyAnd'r landed on his back, his face contorted with black hatred, but for the first time I don't think it was really directed at Star. Not waiting to give him an opportunity to get back up, I sprinted to his side, caught his wrist with one hand and snapped on bracer over his right wrist. Anguish flared into hatred once more, and he lifted his other hand to hit me, but I ducked around and used the movement to fasten the second bracer. Like a rodeo cowboy I backed away with my hands in the air. I forgot about his eyebeams.

Silver fire hit me square in the chest.

I staggered as fire engulfed my lungs. My hands rose slowly to cover the gaping hole in my chest. I swayed. _Raven was going to have a hell of a time with this one_, I thought before I collapsed face first on the ground.

The last thing I heard was Starfire screaming my name.


	23. Chapter 23

It was pathetic how many times I'd found myself incapacitated lately. That I'd been facing super powered beings was no excuse. I was better than that, and yet there I was, lying on the ground in a pool of my own blood having an out of body experience that seemed alarmingly like dying as I watched Starfire cradle my head against her chest while Cyborg, and Raven used their combined powers to keep RyAnd'r at bay. Starfire called something to Raven, probably asking her to save me. Raven was still with Beast Boy, her face panic-stricken as she was torn between who to save. Starfire called out again while RyAnd'r bared his teeth in a satisfied smile. Raven flung out a hand and he was encased in a black cube. Cyborg aimed his sonic canon at him.

The thing about out of body experiences is that you don't exactly have your body to help you out with things like hearing, feeling, and that sort of thing. There was a faint echo, but it was probably coming from what my actual body was hearing. I couldn't make sense of it, it was too far away.

Starfire was desperate, ripping my shirt off to see the damage underneath. She touched my face, felt for a pulse and pressed down on the wound to staunch the blood flowing out of me. RyAnd'r said something. I wouldn't have known it except that Starfire reacted instantly, flaring so brightly with energy that I felt the heat of it through the fragile connection I still had with my body. She flew from my side to grab her brother by the throat, screaming at him. I knew that from the veins sticking out at her temples and in her throat. Her eyes glowed green as his blazed white. If she killed him... I looked down at my body, willing it to move. I wasn't dead yet but it wouldn't be long with so much blood pumping out of me. I've survived worse. I could survive this too. _Come on Dick, move!_

"I would have given Tamaran to you if you had but asked me, brother. I would have welcomed you into my heart with pride and love. I could have even forgiven you for believing the lies Komand'r told you. But not this." I don't know whether I was reading her lips or my body was waking, but I knew what she was saying. On the fringes of my consciousness I began to sense a creeping chill invading me. _No. Not now! The battle wasn't over yet._

With the cold came the red hot fingers of pain trickling like raindrops before a storm. I braced for it even as I welcomed it. Oh, this would hurt, but pain was better than death.

"We are even, RyAnd'r. You have taken the man who saved my life in exchange for the sister who saved yours. Are you satisfied yet?" I could sense her pain. The awareness of it mingled with the agony in my body as if they were both mine. My vision grew cloudy. RyAnd'r tossed his head as if he'd forgotten he no longer had hair to shake out of his face.

"You are weak, sister. Why do you not kill me?" His face twisted bitterly as he lifted his chin. Understanding dawned on me. What he felt consumed him and fueled his every action. Though it was hard to believe, he had loved Blackfire, and the grief he felt from her loss was destroying him. The same way Starfire overflowed with happiness, he was a bottomless pit of sorrow.

"You wish for death by my hand?" Starfire stepped back from him, her fists clenched, before she looked at where I lay. "If you have taken him from me then I swear I will grant it." She bent at the waist in a rigid bow. It had all the ceremony of a handshake sealing a vow.

"Alright, I've had just about enough of this," Cyborg announced loudly, striding up behind RyAnd'r and sticking his sonic canon against his back.

"You want to come to my planet and throw down with my sister, be my guest. She can take you. You want to spread rumors and be a pain in the neck, fine. That's what little brothers do. Hell, you can even claim that you're doing it all out of some weird sense of Tamaranean family loyalty if you want, I won't stop you. But take a look around you RyAnd'r. _This_ is a family. We fight for each other. We would die for each other, and when one of us gets hurt it affects all of us. Where were you when Starfire was kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Psions again? Where were you when she and Blackfire were dueling to the death? It's been a year and you've only just now come out of hiding. If anybody's weak here, it's you!"

"I am the Crowned Prince of Tamaran!" RyAnd'r shouted, as if that meant anything to anyone.

"As far as Tamaran knows, there's only one And'r left and it ain't you," said Cyborg darkly. There was a whirring sound as his canon prepared to fire. RyAnd'r's eyes went wide, as though he couldn't quite believe what was happening. His gaze flew to Starfire's. She tore her eyes away and glided back to my side, knelt next to me, and brushed her nose against my cheek like a cat seeking comfort.

"Get up," Cyborg ordered, prodding the Tamaranean in the back. Stiffly, RyAnd'r moved to do as he was told. "Turn around and face the wall." When it was done, Cyborg lifted his arm high and cracked his elbow down on the boy's head. He dropped like a stone. Starfire shifted, making me groan. I crushed her fingers in my fist to hold her still. Coming back from the dead was painful enough without her bouncing around. She gasped.

"Raven!"

With a massive amount of effort I willed my body to accept me. My vision went dark behind my closed eyelids. Concentrating, I managed to wiggle the fingers on my left hand. I gurgled, choking on the blood in my chest.

Starfire screamed again, and then the two of them were beside me. Raven placed one hand on my chest and pressed down. A garbled scream burst out of me.

"That's what you get for nearly dying on us _again_. Now hold still."

It's good thing I'm only human and Starfire's the indestructible Tamaranean, otherwise she might not have had fingers left by the time Raven was done.

* * *

**A/N: I know it's short, but I need to move this story along. Not much more left to go.**


	24. Chapter 24

As it turns out, my head wasn't completely healed from the first time RyAnd'r took a crack at me, which is why I went down so easy the second time. I was kind of relieved when Raven told me. She hadn't said anything sooner because she claimed it wouldn't have made a difference. I still would have put myself in the middle of the fight knowing I still had a mild concussion or not. If I'd known, I might have changed up my approach, but I didn't hold it against her. It was thanks to her that I was even able to go into a second round with Starfire's brother. With RyAnd'r in custody there wasn't much of a chance that I'd have to go out again anytime soon and I found myself a comfy spot on the couch with a couple superhero-grade ibuprofen and a nice pillow. Soon I'd find my bed, but the team still hadn't decided what to do about RyAnd'r, so we were meeting in the common room to come to a decision. Beast Boy sat at the other end of the couch with a cold drink in his hand. Raven had mixed an herbal tea for his throat, but he said it tasted bitter, so with a roll of her eyes she'd poured enough sugar in it to qualify it as candy, and ran it through a blender with some ice to turn it into a frozen drink. He seemed to be enjoying it, sipping it through a bright pink straw while Raven sat on the floor in front of him. She had her legs tucked in underneath her, her hood pulled back off her face. There were dark circles under her eyes that were evidence that she needed to meditate and get a few nights of good sleep. When Beast Boy slurped loudly just behind her ear she cringed and folded her arms across her chest with a look of supreme annoyance, but I noticed she didn't move away.

Cyborg stood next to the television with his back facing the room and his head bent in thought. He'd been the one to carry RyAnd'r into the tower and secure him in the gymnasium. Despite the bracers, RyAnd'r was still strong and he put up a good fight, but I think he was intimidated by Cyborg. I don't think he knew what to think of him. When the team had first formed, Starfire had been fascinated by him, telling him that he was a brave warrior to have survived the ordeal that had made him what he was, and insisting that he was 'beautiful.' It might have made me jealous, but I saw the effect that it had on Cyborg and for once maturity reigned. Unfortunately, RyAnd'r didn't have his sister's sunny view of the world and I could see that he held the much more popular opinion that Cyborg was some sort of freak that made him uncomfortable. Cyborg knew it too, which was why he'd made it his job to keep RyAnd'r under control.

"I say we turn him over to the League," said Cyborg abruptly, turning to look at us. "Let them handle it. They'll decide what's fair or not." I propped my head up on a fist and glanced around at the others for their reaction.

"The League will turn him over to Tamaran," said Raven in a low voice. She glanced at Starfire. "Tamaran will be so happy to have another living And'r that they'll overlook his crimes. If anyone should judge him it should be us."

"Don't you mean, Star?" Beast Boy rasped. She leveled a glare at him.

"The more you try to speak the longer it will take for your voice to come back, so by all means keep talking." His ears drooped a little at her unusually sharp tone.

"Starfire, what do you want to do?" I asked. Like Beast Boy I knew this was really her decision. She was Tamaran's Queen, making RyAnd'r her subject to deal with. She flinched at the sound of her name.

"I fear it would be unwise of me to make the decision," she mumbled. "I know in my head what I must do, but my heart disagrees. What do you suggest?"

"Everyone made good points. Perhaps the League would be able to give us more perspective, but Raven is right. If they know that we have him they will be forced to turn him over to Tamaran. If he goes back he will be welcomed like a Prince instead of a traitor. It would only be a matter of time before he raised an army and attempted to overthrow you."

"I fear it would be so," she agreed solemnly.

"What if..." I hesitated, unsure of how she would react to my idea. "What if you gave him the throne?"

Right on cue they all gasped and stared at me like I'd grown a second head. Only Beast Boy's sore throat kept him from literally squawking at me. I held up a hand for silence. Starfire had both her hands under her chin in a look of such trust and hope that I almost wished I hadn't suggested it.

"What if you sent RyAnd'r back to Tamaran to rule in your place? Let your politicians hassle and harass him for a while about getting married and making babies. If you wanted, you could stay on Earth for as long as you liked without feeling like you were turning your back on your people."

"And what, RyAnd'r is just going to turn over a new leaf?" Cyborg asked with a snort. "Everyone here knows he'll spend all his energy on turning the people against Starfire."

"What if we send him with the League. The only reason Tamaran was okay with Starfire marrying me was because they wanted the League's protection against the Psions and Gordanians. They wouldn't dare turn on us if the first thing they do after we're married is return their long lost Prince. And RyAnd'r isn't stupid. He'll realize that he can either go along with it or face the punishment he really deserves."

"So after everything that he's done you're just going to reward him?" Raven growled, levitating off the floors her anger.

"It's not a reward. Every day he'll have to face his own people telling him how great and wonderful Starfire is. He'll owe her his life. He'll have to rule the kingdom in her name."

"Yea, and he'll hate her for it," Cyborg pointed out. He shot an apologetic look toward Star, but she had her head bowed and didn't see it. How would you feel if it was the Joker forcing you to take over after he moves on?" I shuddered. RyAnd'r was scary, but he wasn't Joker.

"You guys are forgetting. He's Tamaranean. Whatever he's feeling is going to consume him. He was loyal to Blackfire. He's loyal to Tamaran. The only reason he hates Starfire is because he thinks she took something from Blackfire that was never hers to begin with. He doesn't want the throne for himself, he wanted it for her. If he gets it without her to guide him then maybe he'll see that things aren't exactly the way she made them out to be."

No one was really on board with my plan. Even Starfire looked skeptical.

"It is a good sentiment, Robin, and as much as I wish to do the rekindling of our relationship, I can never trust him now. Tamaraneans are not capable of hiding what they feel. He could not go back and hide all that he has done and why he did it."

"I'm not asking him to pretend it never happened. I want him to see you through the eyes of your people, to hear the way they speak of you, to know your side of the story. Maybe it will make things better." I wanted her to save him so badly I was kidding myself. Despite the nonsense spouting from my mouth I knew as well as the rest of them that it was crazy to expect anything less than more treachery from RyAnd'r. Starfire sighed and walked to the bay windows.

"I believe I am ready to do the sentencing of him now. Cyborg, would you bring him please?"

We had locked him in the gymnasium. It was the only place in the tower with the capabilities to contain a fully-powered Tamaranean. We'd attached his handcuffs to one of Starfire's specially designed weights. Fourteen tons anchored him to the floor. He'd still been unconscious when they'd carried him downstairs. Starfire suspected that he had entered a healing sleep and would be difficult to wake. Cyborg went off by himself. i didn't worry that he'd have any trouble. I'd noticed that RyAnd'r wasn't as strong as Starfire. I'm not sure if that's because he was younger or because he wasn't as experienced, but Cyborg's above average strength would be enough.

By the time they returned, Beast Boy, Raven, and I had gotten to our feet, assuming positions of authority around the room. Starfire remained at the window, carefully avoiding looking in his direction. She seemed smaller.

"This _thing_ tells me I am to be sentenced. There is something I wish to say before you speak, sister."

"Your words will not sway my decision," said Starfire, staring outside at the Jump City Bay. He nodded.

"You have earned the right to rule Tamaran. You have defeated both KomAnd'r and myself in battle, and there are no others to challenge your claim. While I can never forgive or forget that it was you who killed our sister, I acknowledge that you are my rightful queen and I accept whatever sentence you decree for me."

This little speech stunned everyone, but me probably the least. As strange as it seemed, I got RyAnd'r. He was like Bruce and me, orphaned and abandoned in a cruel world at a young age. In Bruce's case, he'd single-handedly forged himself into the weapon known as Batman. Me, I'd been fortunate enough to have Bruce guiding me down a path of justice and honor. But instead of Batman coming to his aid in his darkest hour, for RyAnd'r it had been Blackfire, and i couldn't blame him for turning into what he was with her as a mentor. I think reluctantly he was starting to realize that his oldest sister wasn't the person he had imagined her to be. That couldn't be easy. I can't imagine how I would take it if I realized that Batman was one of the bad guys after years of thinking what he was teaching me was the right way. He had a lot to take in, and Tamaraneans were extremely proud. There was nothing they hated more than appearing weak, and I think for RyAnd'r, admitting that he had been wrong was along the same lines.

"You will accept whatever sentence I give without complaint or plans for revenge?" asked Starfire sharply.

"I will."

"Then I sentence you to return to Tamaran," she said, drawing herself up tall. "I will instate you as a member of my counsel where you will be treated as a true member of the And'r line, but subject to constant scrutiny and little privacy. You will be my liaison while I reside here on Earth, and should I see fit I will burden you with possession of the crown until I return to claim it. You will return on a vessel belonging to Earth's Justice League, and they will inform Tamaran of your status. Am I understood?"

It was his turn to be dumbfounded.

"You're letting me go back?"

"No. I am condemning you to return to a life of protocol and responsibility. Your first allegiance will now and always be to the people of Tamaran. We are blood kin, and I do not wish to see you destroyed. I believe, given time, we may even come to know each other as family. But I respect that you blame me for KomAnd'r's death. Perhaps in time you will teach me about the sister I never knew, and you will come to understand her through my eyes."

"I..." For the first time, he looked lost and young. Despite already being six-foot tall, he was only fourteen or fifteen by Earth's standards. That he'd single-handedly created such a far-reaching plan was impressive, if I was honest with myself. I hoped Starfire and I were right in returning him to his rightful place.

Cyborg pursed his lips but didn't argue. The 'thing' comment had ruffled his feathers. Truth be told, I'd lost a little of my sympathy for him over that one too, but Starfire had made her decision. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

"Guys, see that he gets handed over to the League. I'm going to my room." Contacting the League should have been my job, but I didn't have the energy for a confrontation with Batman or Superman about what had been going on in Jump. Just this once they could handle it without me.

"Robin, wait. I will accompany you," called Starfire, gliding quickly over to my side. A little shock went through me, remembering that she and I had shared a room last night. An anxious lump formed in the back of my throat, and it didn't help that Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg and even RyAnd'r stopped what they were doing to watch us.

"Uh...ok, Star."


	25. Chapter 25

"Starfire, are you sure you're okay with this, with sending RyAnd'r back I mean?" I asked as we stopped outside my door. The door slid open with its familiar hiss, and before I had time to react, she was on me, wrapping me in a Starfire squeeze so strong I felt my ribcage bow under her strength.

"Well I guess that answers that question," I grunted, patting her on the head. She lifted her face and kissed me hard on the lips. My feet left the ground as she flew us against the opposite wall. My back bounced against the smooth panels, but I barely felt it. Her fingers were digging in my hair, forcing my head back and my mouth up to meet hers. My hands wrapped around her waist, pinning her against me. I didn't know what was happening, whether it was gratitude over saving her brother or relief that everything was finally over or even just the relief at finally having a moment to ourselves, but I didn't care. I lifted her knee so that it rested against my hip and spun her around so that I was the one grinding her against the wall. She made this awesome noise deep in her throat and I knew she was liking the change.

"Robin, I could not live without you," she moaned into my mouth.

"You don't have to worry, Star. I'm not going anywhere."

"I thought...you were...dead," she panted as my mouth worked its way down her long throat.

"Nah...not me. I'm tough...to...kill. You know that," I said against her skin, the words coming between kisses. I groaned as her nails slid through my hair again. I'd never imagined this would be so good between us.

"I was so afraid I would lose you," she said, and this time the passion had faded. Her voice was thick with tears now and I sighed and rested my forehead against her collarbone.

"Don't think about it, Star. We did it. Your brother's alive and going back to Tamaran. One day you guys might even have a real relationship. This was just another mission accomplished."

"But it is different now," she insisted, and her voice wavered with emotion. "Before, you were merely my leader and best friend. But RyAnd'r knew that you were the other half of my heart and he nearly destroyed you to punish me. I could never have forgiven myself if you had died because of me."

I couldn't help but laugh, wrapping my arms around her back and hugging her tight against me. She squirmed.

"My distress is amusing?"

"No. You have no idea how many times I used that as my excuse for why we couldn't be together. I thought if I told you how I felt our enemies would target you to get to me. I never imagined I'd be the one in danger." The laugh came from deep in my belly now. Starfire wrinkled her nose, confused. "Ah, gorgeous, you are so perfect for me it's ridiculous!" I kissed her again. Her hands slid from my hair to tangle in my shirt. The rough sound of threads tearing did strange things to my head. God she was so hot! But the moment I felt her fingers on my bare chest alarm bells went off and I pulled back from her.

"R-Robin?"

"Sorry, Star. I got a little carried away." I cleared my throat of the husky sound that had crept into it. "I'm just going to take a quick shower." I scurried away before she could call me back. I didn't dare look at her face. I could feel her confusion from across the room.

Hot water jetted from the shower head, filling my narrow bathroom with steam as I kicked off my boots and stepped out of my green pants. A part of me very clearly wanted to finish what I'd started in the other room, but the rest of me knew better. God we hadn't even had our first date yet. I stepped into the shower, wincing as the hot water rushed over my skin.

I stayed in longer than I meant to. I was avoiding her. She would still be waiting for me though. In all the time I'd known her she'd never held back from asking a question. I didn't always give her an answer, but she always asked. Unfortunately, in my hasty retreat I'd forgotten to bring a change of clothes with me into the bathroom, meaning I had to walk back in with a towel wrapped around my waist and my dirty clothes in one hand.

She was sitting against my headboard, her hands clasped in her lap, the picture of innocence and uncertainty. I quickly avoided her eye, tossing my dirty things in my hamper and going straight for my dresser. That meant she got a good look at me, front and back. With the overhead light on and the sunshine filtering through my blinds there was no way she didn't see all of the scars. Bravely, I met her eyes in my dresser mirror. No revulsion. Only confusion. I grabbed a gray t-shirt but hesitated from putting it on.

"I try not to let people see me like this," I explained through my reflection. "I don't like for them to know how many mistakes I've made."

"You believe I think less of you because you bear the scars of battle?"

"No. Yes... I don't know. It's just hard to let you see me like this. It just proves how vulnerable I really am. I mean, anyone who looks at you, who sees how powerful you are would think you're indestructible. But if our enemies saw this they'd know I'm just some kid they could shoot down just as easily as any other person on the street."

"What I see is courage and strength. Robin, you know my past. If you think I have no scars you are doing the fooling of yourself." A dark edge crept into her voice. I went to sit on the edge of the bed. I sighed.

"This is all moving a little fast for me. I mean, we're already engaged and we haven't even had our first date yet. We almost... I just think we need to slow down. These are issues I never thought I'd have to deal with. I told myself I couldn't be a hero and have a wife and a family, so the scars didn't matter, but now we're together and it's harder than I expected to share this side of me with you. I don't want you to think I'm weak."

"I could never think that, Robin. But if it will ease your mind then we may do the slowing down. Besides, I should speak to the League regarding my brother's status. You need your rest." She floated up from the bed and landed on the opposite side. I lunged to catch her hand before she could put too much distance between us.

"If you keep kissing me like you did before I won't be able to resist you for long. But thank you for not pushing." I kissed her quickly on the cheek, needing her to know it wasn't a rejection. Her eyes ignited with a sultry smile that scorched me straight to my toes.

"I will not do the tempting of you if you are not ready, but I cannot help myself when you do the rough handling of me." Her hand found my through, tilted back my head and she dripped kisses slowly down on me. My resolve to slow down was melting away, but then she lifted her lips from mine and slowly walked away, rolling her hips in a way I'd never seen before that accentuated her very feminine her body was. By the time the door slid shut behind her, my mind was in a fog and sleeping was the last thing on my mind.

Starfire contacted the League, who patched a message through to Tamaran where Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were still dealing with the outraged Tamaranean counsel over my kidnapping. She assured them that we had everything under control and told them how she planned to handle RyAnd'r's future. Wonder Woman was skeptical of the plan. Superman was cautious that Starfire might be giving her brother too much leeway, but Batman accepted the decision without comment. He would, considering how he locks up the criminals of Gothamn in Arkham knowing it's only a matter of time before they break out again. I've started to think that he hopes they'll break out so he can have an excuse to keep testing himself.

Batman and Superman would come to collect RyAnd'r, leaving Wonder Woman on Tamaran to keep the peace until they arrived.

"Why isn't Batman staying on Tamaran?" Beast Boy asked later when Starfire recounted the conversation over the pizza w'd ordered. "I mean if RyAnd'r got loose it's not like Batman's going to be able to do much to stop him."

I sent him a withering look. He blushed, realizing that he'd indirectly insulted me as well.

"I bet Tamaran and Batman are eager for a break from each other. He doesn't exactly do emotions, and they're not known for holding them back. I bet they're either really confused by him or driving him crazy with questions." i grinned at the thought, but beside me, Starfire stiffened.

"Do I do the driving crazy of you with my questions?"

"Walked right into that one, Rob man," said Cyborg around a mouthful of cheese.

"Of course not," I replied, not ruffled at all. "Your questions make me think About things differently than I'm used to. It's refreshing. Batman doesn't have patience for any way but his way. Plus he doesn't have my sparkling personality."

"Bet you wouldn't say that if he was here," Beast Boy said with a grin.

"Bet you I've said worse to his face," I shrugged. A look of awe came over Beast Boy's features. It gave my ego a welcome boost after his unintentional dig at us de-powered heroes.

Abruptly I stood up and wiped the pizza grease from my gloves. "Well, you guys enjoy. I've got some work to catch up on." I touched Starfire's shoulder lightly in passing and she gave a little smile. Cyborg and Beast Boy rolled their eyes that I was going back to work so soon. Raven's gaze flicked knowingly to mine and I looked away.

I let them think I was going to the evidence room. Technically the room was available for anyone's use, but I was the only one who ever really used it so it had become my unofficial office. We'd even reached the point where I would sometimes lock myself in and they didn't try to follow me, except send Starfire to try and call me out.

But I didn't go to the evidence room.

Instead I went to the gym. I flicked on the lights and immediately saw RyAnd'r sitting on Starfire's weight rack across the room. The braces are still on his arms, but he had his hands in his lap and an extra length of chain had been found to tether him to the ground. He looked up as soon as the lights came on, probably expecting to see Cyborg and seemed almost relieved to see that it was me.

"She sent you?"

"Uh...no." I bristled at the thought of being sent as someone's errand boy, even Starfire's. "I wanted to talk to you."

"You are her chosen, yes? How could my sister have fallen for a human? Compared to us, your race is weak."

"Maybe because Starfire understands the difference between weakness and strength. Yes she's stronger than I will ever be, but there are a lot of things I know that she's just learning."

"Spare me the details of how you defile my sister," he growled, turning his head. I almost laughed, half-convinced he'd purposefully mistaken my meaning. Instead, I folded my arms easily and leaned a shoulder against the weight rack that was basically another set of bleachers made from giant slabs of steel.

"Now that you've met her and seen her up close you can't really believe she's as evil as you thought, can you?" He moved his head like a snake, trying to worm away from my question but having nowhere to go.

"She is not what I was led to believe, no."

"Then you can see that she still loves you?" His green eyes rose to mine for a moment. He'd had most of the afternoon to myself to work all this out, and I knew he was coming around. But I needed to reassure myself that we were making the right choice.

"Look, we let you go this time, but if you ever try to hurt like that again I will you down." For just a moment I let a little bit of the Batman creep into my tone just so that he knew how serious I was. Let him think he was stronger than me. Let him imagine that starbolts and flight gave him the advantage. If he ever hurt her again he would answer to me. The rest of the Titans would be out for his blood too, but I was the one he should worry about.

"I've wondered," he said in a low conversational voice, "how different things might have been if she and I had escaped here together. I envy that KoriAnd'r finds a home wherever she lands. Komand'r and I did not have an easy time together. We were refugees constantly looking over our shoulders. Tamaran never came for us and I believed it was because KoriAnd'r betrayed us. That other one has shown me the videos of her. I recognize these bracers and saw the footage of how she was when she first arrived. I saw how you freed her even though she was a threat to your city." His eyebrow rose in a silent question. I shrugged. To this day I don't know what made me take off those bracers. She had already proven she had no qualms about destroying the city or hurting the people in it, but maybe it had been the desperation in her eyes, the fear. Even before I knew her I'd wanted to protect her.

"Everyone deserves at least one chance to prove themselves innocent. Everyone," I added meaningfully. "What you do with that chance is up to you. Starfire chose to stay and help fend off the Gordanians even though we were outnumbered and she might have easily been taken prisoner again. But we won and she earned a place on this team. Look, I'm sorry your life has been difficult up to this point. I know how that is. Each of the Titans had a rough start. But trying to hold on to the past just keeps it alive and holds you back from becoming something better. Starfire is giving you a chance. Don't blow it." I though I was getting through to him until his brows creased in an expression that was so like his sister's that I nearly grinned again.

"And how does one do the blowing of it?" he asked with genuine confusion. Finally, I threw back my head and laughed. Luckily he didn't take offense. In a very Starfire-like bemusement he waited for me to explain myself.

"Be very grateful that I'm the one you said that to instead of Beast Boy. You'd get a totally different answer."

* * *

**A/N: Well that's it. I may do an epilogue chapter, but this ends their problem with RyAnd'r. If there's loose ends I forgot to tie up let me know in the comments and I'll sort them out. As far as public opinion goes that will always wax and wane for the superhero community based on what threat they face. Batman and Robin will always disagree, butt heads, agree and then agree not to talk about it, so yea... As for Robin and Starfire getting married, that's ceremonial for Tamaran, but on Earth they can take it to mean whatever they want it to, hence Robin is slowing things down so they can go at a more normal pace. Thanks for reading. :)**


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